Naruto of the Shikon
by LD 1449
Summary: NaruInuyasha Xover: Naruto has lost everything in the final battle. He is asked to aid a group in their journey. But will his own grief and pain get in the way? Or will this new group heal his broken soul.I don't own Naruto or Inuyasha
1. Midoriko

Hey everyone this is a new story for all of you. I know I haven't completed any of my other ones but its just that they all still have a lot of work left to be done on them. **A twist of fate** still has about thirty to thirtyfive chapters left. **The strength of brothers **might even reach beyond 100 chapters and **The void **has thirty to fourty five chapters still waiting for it. So I really don't want to wait so long to write one of the many crossover adventures that swarm my mind.

This should last about twenty to thirty chapters so I don't find it too long.

Also I want to assure everyone that I will never cancel or give up on any of my fics. That is a promise.

Anyway, here's the story.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A lone figure stood atop the scarred mountain face that once housed the Hokage monument.

He stared at the sea of flames and destruction that was once the Village of the Hidden Leaves. Now a scared battleground, filled with bodies, ash, rubble and death, that mocked its former prime.

Was this it?

Was this the result of all that they had worked for?

He had tried, ohhh had he tried. But still, it wasn't enough. He couldn't protect them.

Sakura,

Tsunade

Jiraiya

Kakashi

Rock Lee

Tenten

Neji

Shikamaru

Chouji

Kiba

Hinata

Shino

Azuma

Kurenai

Gai

Ino

Gaara

Temari

Kankuro

Konohamaru

Ebisu

Udon

Moegi

All gone.

Orochimaru, in a last ditch efort to win the war launched a desperate suprise attack on the village. But the leaf nins organized to quickly and despite being caught unawares and Orochimaru having possessed Sasuke they were soon being pushed back.

In the end Naruto, Sakura, Kakashi, Jiraiya and Tsunade had the snake cornered.

That's when everything went straight to hell.

Akatsuki's entire organization arrived and began attacking. Maito Gai oppened all eight gates, succeeding in killing Kisame and weakening two others. Tenten, Neji and Rock Lee took on one of the weakened members who's name was Kakuzu. Yet when they were ready to kill the man he used a suicidal technique. Taking down himself and everyone else with him.

Hidan, the immortal had taken down Shikamaru, Ino, Chouji and Azuma before Kakashi was able to deliver a Chidori right into the mans head. Just before he was burnt to ash by Itachi's Amateratsu.

Kurenai had fought against Tobi, using genjutsu after genjutsu against eachother the two were soon exhausted and even as Shino was able to deal with the man Kurenai soon died from chakra depletion herself.

Hinata and Kiba fought against a blue haired Kunoichi and despite their best efforts they soon fell to her. Shino, in a blind rage attacked the Kunoichi but was cut down as well. In the end, only Naruto, Sakura, Jiraiya and Tsunade stood against the remaining five S class criminals.

Then Suna arrived with the flicker of hope lighting again.

Naruto, now seventeen, a member of the Anbu ad one of the strongest ninja in the village, if not the strongest faced the leader of the organization along with his pink haired teammate.

Tsunade fought against the blue haired Kunoichi with everything she had but the womans speed and reaction time was far above her own and only her experience and mounstrous strength kept her in the fight

Gaara fought against Deidara and was able to kill the clay wielder but not before receiving some serious injuries, which he succumbed to as he moved to try and assist Naruto and Sakura against the leader.

Temari and Kankuro fought against Zetsu, the mysterious ninja from Kusa and managed to defeat the man. But Zetsu managed to inject them with a fast acting poison and they soon fell to it.

Jiraiya fought against Itachi but the young Uchiha was far beyond the toad hermits level in regards of speed and chakra capacity. The toad hermit fought valiantly but he too fell to the power of the mangekyo.

As Naruto fought with all the strength he possessed to try and defeat the leader of the organization Sakura fought with just as much vigor.

But one simple mistake and the elder ninja exploited it.

As Naruto waited for his death he was surprised to see a flash of pink and warm blood splashed on his face. He opened his eyes and saw Sakura's gentle green one's. She smiled a smile full of warmth and acceptance.

He stood there in shock and as the leader pulled his blade out she fell forward. Naruto caught her and felt the prickling of tears behind his eyes. He asked just one simple question. "Why?"

But she did not answer. She merely smiled and took one last breath before closing her eyes and gave a final whisper. "Live"

Naruto cried and as his eyes turned red he slowly looked up and found the leader, Itachi and the blue haired Kunoichi, standing before him.

He entered his mind and walked up to the cage. The giant Kitsune looked at the blond and felt his eyes go wide as the blond placed a hand above the seal and in a flash, the papper seal was torn off and the bars dissolved into nothingness.

The Kyuubi looked at the boy but the blond only said one thing. "Go wild."

With a fanged smirk and an unearthly roar the Kyuubi no Kitsune was free.

Naruto awoke hours later, somehow he was still alive but the rest of the village was destroyed. He should assume it was the Kyuubi but somehow, he knew the fox did not do this. If he did then it was fighting the remainder of the Akatsuki not the fox itself.

He didn't know how he knew that, he just did.

So now, here he stood above the monument staring at what had once been his village.

He had taken some clothes from the destroyed shops and Shinobi gear stores.

He now wore a standard Anbu full body armor with black face mask, reminiscent of Kakashi, fingerless gloves, like Sakura's, a customized forehead protector that had flame designs on the edges. It reminded him of Jiraiya, since he too had a customized forehead protector. The cloth was very long and thick making it flail behind him in the wind, it reminded him of Konohamaru's scarf. And last but not least he had the necklace he had won from Tsunade so many years ago.

He sighed. Why was he still here? Perhaps he should step off and end it himself.

'_Live' _

Sakura's last word echoed in his mind, making him heave another sigh.

He turned on his heel to walk away but stopped as he saw a glowing pearl or jewel.

He looked around as he tried to find whoever dropped it here for him to find. Even so, it was strange, few could sneak up on him. As a matter of fact, with Akatsuki defeated, and the three Sannin dead he could safely say that no one short of a Kage of another village could sneak up on him. In his seventeen years Jiraiya and Tsunade said that he may have very well surpassed the professor himself while he was still in his prime. Or as Naruto liked to call him, Jiji.

He shrugged and walked forward and in a flash of pink light both he and the jewel vanished.

Naruto opened his eyes and entered the world of the living with a feeling of weightlessness about him.

He looked around to a plethora of swirling lights all around him. "Well this is interesting." He muttered in a slightly bored tone of voice.

At once the images shifted, revealing a woman with samurai stile shoulder and chest armor with Miko clothing underneath. She was battling a horde of what Naruto assumed to be Yokai.

The miko fought for seven days and seven nights before finally, with one final cry and a bright flash, both the Miko and the yokai wer forever turned to stone and the jewel burst from the Miko's chest.

The images faded and formed into view again.

A red clad young man with dog ears was rushing through the tree's with the jewel in his hand. "Heh, finally a way for me to become a full demon at last!" He said with triumph, making Naruto raise an eyebrow in silent questioning.

"Die Inuyasha!" Came the voice of a female before an arrow whizzed by his head and lodged itself in Inuyasha's shoulder.

Narutoturned around and laid eyes on the woman in priestess robes. She had a rather large gash on her right shoulder that was bleeding horribly. Most likely fatal.

"Ki-Kikyo." The boy, Inuyasha gasped out before his head fell limp to the side.

The images warped and faded again. This time a girl wearing a short green skirt was being crushed by what appeared to be a giant centipede against the tree Inuyasha was pinned to.

She resembled the other one, Kikyo, he absently noted. With a cry she grasped onto the arrow and the wooden projectile dissolved.

Inuyasha awoke and with a few quick words he sliced the centipede to bits and lunged at the young girl.

When they finally got the subjugation beads on him Naruto had to laugh at the sight of the mighty half demon plowing face first into the ground.

He silently observed their adventures with a sparkle of amusement in his eyes.

He watched as the woman, Kikyo was brought back which was followed shortly by the appearance of Inuyasha's full demon brother Sesshomaru and his search for the Tetsusaiga. It kinda reminded him of Itachi.

Then he watched as they met up with the fox kitling, followed shortly by the monk and then the demon slayer, Sango.

He had to admit, this Naraku was a smart bastard. Sick, twisted and completely insane but a smart bastard nonetheless.

The final scene was of Naraku's final form as the Inu gang stood within Hakurei. It reminded him of Orochimaru, Sasuke and Kimimaro all in one.

As the final scene faded he blinked lazily. "Wellllllllllllllll……I suppose my next question should be who are you. But we already know the answer to that, don't we…Midoriko?" Naruto said as he turned around

The legendary priestess formed into view infront of him, smiling kindly at the young shinobi. Naruto smiled back, his eyes going into upside down U's similar to his old sensei's "Not that the tale wasn't good, but why exactly am I here?"

"Naruto, I assume." She stated with a nod and a kind smile.

Naruto raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms infront of him and leaned forward, slightly. "I believe it is safe to assume that while I have been here looking at this you have been doing something similar to my memories eh?"

Midoriko's smile grew. "Sharp aren't you?"

"I've picked up a few things." Naruto admitted with his eyes going into upside down U's. "But you still have not answered my question." He said as he wagged his finger playfully.

Midoriko's smile was slightly apologetic. "Your right of course." She admitted "I suppose I should just cut right to the chase"

"It would be nice." He admitted with his cheerful demeanor.

"I want your help." She confessed.

"Hmmmm." Naruto said curiously. "I assume it would be to help these four stop Naraku correct?"

She nodded. "I fear for them and for humanity. The only way for the jewel to be purified permanently would be for a pure wish, done by one with a pure heart to make the wish upon the jewel. The first priestess, Kikyo. Her spirit is clouded by hate and anger. She can no longer purify the jewel unless she lets go of those two emotions and Kagome, though pure of heart is untrained and her spirit possesses much sadness because of the Hanyou's love for Kikyo." She said as she placed a hand over her chest. "My soul is tired and if one of them make a wish born out of selfishness then I am uncertain if I will be able to continue fighting the Yokai sealed within the jewel."

"Well, you certainly pick a strange saviour. My heart and soul also hold much hate and sadness. Or has my ever present mask even fooled one as wise as yourself who has also visited my memories." He said with his eyes still smiling. "Or perhaps my sanity has confused the emotions that I feel." He pondered aloud.

Midoriko's eyes showed sadness for the young boy and she slowly walked forward and enveloped him in a warm comforting embrace. Naruto stiffened slightly at the unfamiliar contact. He half expected her to pull out a knife and stab him in the back. Something that he found a small part of him was hoping for.

"Your heart and soul have been dealt great and terrible wounds. You…no longer wish to live, do you?"

Naruto smiled down at the woman with sadness visible even behind his face mask. "What does one such as I have left to live for, Midoriko?"

Midoriko looked down with guilt and sadness weighing at her. "I know it is wrong to ask this of you but…I know you can help them. You, who have suffered so much, yet endured so much better than anyone else should they have taken your place. You can show them how to overcome their hardships. Please." The last part was whispered in an almost begging tone.

Naruto remained silent for a few moments before finally speaking. "Very well."

Midoriko pulled away and smiled up at the blond with a slightly teary, but nonetheless grateful gaze. "Thank you" She whispered sincerely before Naruto was enveloped in a pink light and soon faded from the realm of the Shikon.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Well there you go. Tell me what you think.

Also I'm gonna take a vote on the pairing.

Naru/Kagome

Naru/Kikyo

Naru/Sango

Naru/Kagura

Naru/Midoriko

I can make all of these pairings work, trust me and I can place them all in a believable scenario


	2. Do you meet everyone like this?

WOW!!!!!

FIFTY-ONE REVIEWS FOR THE FIRST CHAPTER IN LESS THAN ONE NIGHT!!!!!

HOLY SHIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Ahem) I mean…I appreciate your support. (Bows lowly)

Also to the many people that asked if the Kyuubi was free or still inside of Naruto. I'm sorry about the confusion but no Kyuubi is not inside of Naruto anymore. Naruto released him.

Also I want everyone to know that I only saw up to Mnt.Hakurei in the anime in even then I only saw a couple of episodes in between to catch the main jist of what was going on throughout the rest of it. So if I get something wrong then point it out.

And as for the votes, Sango is in the lead followed closely by Kagura and Midoriko. Kagome is a little behind but she has time to catch up. Kikyo has a chance to catch up but unless a couple of Kikyo fans show up I think there's little chance of her making the cut.

Anyway lets get on with the story.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto slowly opened his eyes and found himself beneath a treewith a clear sky above him. He would have to guess it was morning if the singing birds and misty air was any indication. "Hmmm, now where have you placed me Midoriko?" He mused to himself.

His eyes slowly rolled upwards and came to the sight of the ancient Goshimboku. _'The tree where Kikyo sealed Inuyasha? Fitting, I suppose.' _He thought to himself before slowly picking himself off the ground. "Now if the visions I saw were accurate then I suppose the village should be that-a-way." He said with a mild shrug before walking in the direction he pointed out earlier.

As he approached the village he saw the wet fields and crops forming along the hills and slopes. It was just like the jewel had shown him. So that small hut in the center of the village should be where the old priestess, Kaede lived.

With a shrug he began making his way there. As he passed by, the villagers sent him glances filled with trepidation and even a little fear. Still, he couldn't really blame them much. It probably wasn't often they saw a masked figure in full Anbu armor walking down the road.

So it was no surprise when Kaede and several of the village men were soon gathered infront of the very hut that he went to visit "Well now, is this the welcoming party?" He asked, his voice a lazy drawl.

Kaede stepped forward to speak. "What do ye seek here?" She asked narrowing her single eye at the ninja.

Naruto looked thoughtful for a moment. "Hmmm, I suppose you could call it information."

"We are a simple village. We have no information for a ninja." Kaede replied.

"Ohhh but you do." Naruto stated as he shook his finger with his eyes as upside down U's once again. "About a certain Hanyo, Hoshui, Tajiya and untrained Miko."

Kaede's eyes widened and, with speed no woman her age should possess her bow was in her hands and already pulling back an arrow. As the string was released the projectile flew through the air, heading strait for Naruo's neck.

In a simple side step the boy let the arrow whiz by. "Now was that really necessary?" He chided with the smile still present.

Kaede narrowed her eyes at the blond. "I will not allow you to harm them assassin!" She said with forceful determination and Naruto had to admit that even in her old age the woman was indeed someone one did not want to mess with.

But nevertheless he decided to play this out. "Now now, if they sent me to deal with a Hanyou with a powerful sword and an experienced Demon slayer a Monk with a black void in his hand and a Miko with untrained spiritual powers then I doubt a few villagers and an old woman can handle me." He craned his head to the side to avoid another arrow.

"Young man" Kaede spoke as she notched another arrow "You do not wish to threaten me…" Sha aimed the bow. "That is a very foolish thing to do. I may not be as powerful as my sister but I am indeed more than a match for a common ninja."

He smirked in a very intimidating way. And one could see that even beneath the mask. "Who say's I'm common?"

She fired.

The arrow whizzed through the air and lodged itself in his chest.

And he promptly vanished in a nice cloud of smoke.

Kaede's eyes widened and before she or any of the villagers could react she felt the cold edge of a kunai on her neck.

"Now, are you ready to start sharing?" Came the blonds voice from directly behind her.

Naruto still held his smile even as he felt the village men all moving and pointing their spears at his neck and chest.

Kaede gulped and she felt a bead of sweat trail down her cheek.

"Well Baba. Where are they?"

Kaede refused to speak and stayed quiet. Naruto had to admire her dedication to the group.

A villager spoke to his right. "They left the village…"

"Masanori!" Kaede yelled in warning.

The man, Masanori bowed lowly to the old Miko. "Forgive me lady Kaede, but you have always been like a grandmother to me. I will not allow you to die if I should have a way to prevent it."

Naruto eyed the man with a lazy, yet critical eye. "Well?"

"They left, heading eastward."

"Thank you." Naruto said and with a quick wave he vanished in a swirl of leaves. Leaving a startled group of villagers and a worried Miko.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Inu gang was currently sitting around a fire in subdued silence. Inuyasha had taken the 'death' of Kikyo rather hard. He hadn't spoken a word to anyone for two whole days. Even when Kagome offered him Ramen he would still say nothing.

Each of the group had somewhat mixed feelings on the situation but none dared to speak up.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naraku watched the group through Kanna's mirror with a sick smirk plastered on his face. Already a sick plot formed within his mind. He could increase the Hanyou's suffering by taking away his second love. But merely kidnapping her just wouldn't do. Nooo, he wanted Inuyasha to watch as Kagome was taken away, permanently. While he was helpless to stop it.

"Kagura." His cold voice seemed to sweep across the hallways, like a blanket of cold, dark miasma.

Immediately the wind mistress appeared before him.

"Listen closely."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

As Naruto's trek across the lands of feudal Japan continued, he avoided most of the villages he came across. Often he preferred to simply hunt for his food and maintain an extremely low profile. If the title Sesshomaru held, 'Taiyokai of the west' was any indication it was safe to assume that there were at least three others. And Sesshomaru was most certainly someone he would not want to fight one on one. He wasn't sure if he could defeat the Taiyokai. Every other time Inuyasha had come out victorious had been through sheer dumb luck or twist of fate.

It was safe to assume that if Inuyasha had not found out the way to use the Wind Scar on their third or fith confrontation then the Hanyou would most likely be dead.

So if the other Taiyokai were as strong as him. He did not wish to catch their attention and a Ninja walking around in a time of mainly samurai might just raise a few eyebrows. It was highly unlikely but it was still a risk he did not wish to take.

So it was no surprise that he currently found himself sitting amidst the dying flames of a camp fire where he had cooked two rabbits. Now they laid as a pile of bones and near him. He silently removed any traces left of his camp. It was a skill that Jiraiya taught him long ago, while he had trained.

The toad hermit had always said 'Your enemies will always fear you more, if they do not even know you exist.'

With a small shake of his head he removed the thoughts of his old mentor from his mind. He didn't want to think about him. He didn't want to think of any of them. Not now…not ever again.

He sighed tiredly before finishing the process and leaving an empty field.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Inuyasha stopped mid stride as his ears perked up and he sniffed the air. With a snarl he unsheathed the Tetsusaiga and the fang emerged.

"Inuyasha, what's wrong?" Came Miroku's voice as he and the others dismounted Kirara.

"Kagura." Was the half demons only response as the familiar feather in the sky began descending with hundreds of demons hot on its trail.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto slowly looked up to the sky as hundreds of low level snake and worm yokai soared through the air, following what appeared to be a giant feather.

He stared at it for a few moments.

"Well that's not good." He muttered absently to himself before resuming his walk.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"WIND SCAR!" was the cry that echoed across the battlefield as the Half demon swung his blade into the horde of incoming demons.

Miroku had managed to use his wind tunnel on some, but predictably enough Naraku's insects soon arrived and left the Hoshui with his sutras and staff as his only weapons.

Sango was swinging the large boomerang, Hiraikotsu like a woman possessed. With Kirara biting and slashing at any demons that came near her while the weapon was still flying.

Kagome hung back towards the rear of the group shooting her purification arrows with enough power to purify two or three of them with a single shot. Shippo stood at her heels, Using his Fox Fire on the few that he could.

Kagura sat atop her feather, while secretly hoping that the group would win. She hated Naraku. The sick bastard was twisted and cruel and she wanted out. Since Sesshomaru had refused the use of the jewel shards she had offered him one of the few groups of people that even had a slight chance of defeating the dark half demon was this group right here.

With a slight buzzing sound coming from her right she turned her head and found one of Naraku's famous insects watching her. So he was spying on her again? She cursed under her breath and took out her fan.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto sat in a tree, silently observing the fight, watching each of them. The Inu group was nothing new, he had seen most of their battles in the visions. But the woman, Naraku's incarnation, Kagura. It appeared as if she was not going to join the fight.

He saw, with his sharpened vision as a bug hovered next to her and she took out her Fan.

'_Either, that's a signal for attack, or Naraku is spying on her. Hmmmm, do I sense animosity?'_

He watched as she stood and prepared to swing her fan to use the dance of blades attack. Now, the only question was. "Who are you aiming for?"

It was soon answered.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"KAGOME, WATCH OUT!" Came Shippo's voice at Kagome's feet.

As the young highschool girl looked up to where the fox was pointing she barely had the reflexes to move away just in time before Kagura's blades tore her in half. Even so the wind sorceress managed to get a hit that sliced deep into her left thigh.

She cried out as she fell to the ground, her arrows clattering and falling out of their quiver. Her bow, lay sliced in two at her side. She was now defenseless.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

As Inuyasha heard Shippo, the blast sound and Kagome's own scream, aas well as the smell of her blood, had the half demon turning around completely to where he knew the girl was. "KAGOME!" He screamed as he watched Kagura prepare another dance of blades.

He moved to charge at either the girl or the sorceress but in a rush, the hundreds of snake yokai that he had forgotten in his haste swarmed over and around him, barring his path and packing themselves in way to close for him to us the wind scar effectively.

"Damnit!" He growled in frustration as he swung his sword again.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kagura winced in her mind and also gave a slight grimace. It appeared as though Naraku's plan would work for once. Inuyasha was busy and the monk and slayer were too far to do anything. _'I'm sorry'_ She mentally appologived before swinging her fan again, letting her wind blades fly.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kagome watched the attack coming at her with fear and realization creeping into her system. _'Mom, Souta, Grandpa. I'm sorry.'_

But as she closed her eyes the feeling of nausea and vertigo hit her full force and she felt her world spinning out of control. When her mind and her eyes finally came into focus again she was staring at the masked visage of a blond man with blue eyes that appeared to be smiling.

"Do you meet all of your friends like this?" Naruto asked with his eyes as upside down U's

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Well that's a new chapter for you. This was really the only, at least semi believable scene that I could come up with for the meeting and Naruto's joining of the group. Since I really didn't see Naruto just walking into Kaede's hut and saying. "Well, Midoriko asked me to join you" Nope, I didn't see that happening.

Anyway I'm kinda new at Inuyasha fic's (First one) so if I get something wrong or I make a character OC or something then go ahead and tell me. (Constructive criticism)

I don't accept pointless flames though.


	3. First meetings don't always go well

Well now. It look's like I'm back.

Also everything involving the foxes release will be answered soon. So stop asking, because I aint gonna tell ya. It is a very important point of the story so to tell you now would be rather pointless.

Also NO you are not allowed to vote twice. Sango now has around thirty two votes. Midoriko has around twenty eight followed by Kagura with twenty two and Kagome with twenty one. Kikyo has fifteen and that's how the polls are going right now.

Also Naruto is around seventeen years old and is at Sarutobi's level when he was still young.

Enjoy.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kagome stared at the blue eyes that appeared to be smiling at her. She opened her mouth to speak but as soon as she did a wave of nausea hit her like a ton of bricks and she lurched forward, emptying her stomach contents on the forest floor along with Shippo.

"Ahh, Kawarimi." She faintly heard the masked man speak. "Don't feel too bad it happens to all of us the first few times." He said and began to rub circles along her back to help calm her down.

Kagura whipped her head to the side as she heard them and felt her eyes go wide with shock as she stared at Kagome more than twenty yards away from where she had been. _'What the-? There's no way a human can move that fast.'_

She turned her head back to where her blades hit but only found the remains of a broken log. _'Whatever it was, I bet he can't do it again.' _She opened her fan again and with a cry her wind blades flew with even more power than before.

Naruto stopped rubbing Kagome's back as he sensed the attack. He turned around and saw the blades coming at him. As they approached he raised his hand in the air and spoke. **"Daikamaitachi no jutsu" **a gust of wind picked up from nowhere and blades formed within the wind.

Temari had taught him this. Over the years she had become something of a sister figure to the blond leaf nin and when he told her that he was of the wind element she had begun to tach him some of her ninjutsu. Either because of his training, or because of the fox within him he had mastered her jutsu to such an extent he did not even need the fan she always used.

He chuckled slightly as he remembered her face the first time he had done that without the fan. Her jaw had reached below sea level and she had been slightly put out by it. The fact that she, a woman who had spent decades dedicating herself to her wind based techniques had been surpassed by someone who had barely studied it for a year (Of course he had used shadow clones. But she didn't know that) really pissed her off.

But soon his mind fell back into a somber state. Those days were gone now, and no mater how much he wanted it differently. It would never happen again.

With a sigh he looked back to the battle.

Kagura's blades met Naruto's and soon both attacks cancelled each other out.

Kagura stared with wide eyes at what had just happened. But as the dust from the two attacks settled the blond was nowhere to be seen. _'Where did he-?' _Her thoughts were cut off as said blond appeared directly infront of her with a ball of swirling energy in his hand.

Kagura could practically feel the raw power that his attack possessed and she knew that she would never survive it. But…at the very least, Naraku would not be the one to kill her. She closed her eyes and resigned herself to her fate.

As Naruto watched the emotions flicker across the wind demons face, from shock to realization to satisfaction and finally to resignation, he knew that she did not do this by her own free will.

Still, it was foolish to allow her to live. He really didn't think she was just gonna have a change of heart any time soon so leaving her alive was far too risky _'Sorry lady'_

But as the Rasengan neared her chest a snake demon that he had missed came in and with a vicious bite to his forearm managed to divert his attack hitting Kagura's feather and sending him straight down to earth. Naruto cursed, pulled out a kunai and stabbed the snake demon right between the eyes.

Immediately the snakes grip slackened and Naruto was able to release himself from its grip.

He flipped in mid air and landed on his feet. He straightened and looked at the injury on his arm. It was already healing. Kyuubi may have left but his body already had the knowledge of how to mold the chakra to heal his injuries subconsciously. He shrugged. At least the fox had left him something of decent value.

He looked back up to Kagura's slightly damaged feather and threw a shuriken.

Kagura looked at him like he was crazy. One shuriken? It was insulting.

Naruto smirked as he saw her expression. **"Shuriken Kage Bunshin no jutsu!" **He whispered and in seconds, one shuriken became one hundred and Kagura was once again caught by surprise.

She moved to swing her fan but before she could the shuriken were already there biting into flesh, piercing skin, slicing tendons. Her fan was cut to ribbons and her clothes, normally immaculate and very elegant were now no more than tattered rags.

Kagura gasped in pain as the shuriken hit her. She tried to move but everything hurt badly. She let out a strangled groan and coughed up blood.

'_Damnit' _She mentally cursed. Naraku would probably torture her for hours on end because of this failure.

Still, this just meant that the group would live to fight another day and might very well defeat Naraku if they survived long enough. She spared a glance at the masked man standing below her with a casual laziness about him. She narrowed her eyes. Maybe even he would prove useful against Naraku.

With that thought, the wind sorceress commanded her fan and rose into the skies.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto watched the demoness leave with an inquisitive glance before turning around in time to see the ret of the Inu group finish off what remained of the Yokai and rushing to Kagome and Sippou's side.

'_Well, now things are going to get interesting.' _He thought with a mild shrug.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naraku watched from Kanna's mirror as Kagura was forced to retreat by the strange masked human that had suddenly appeared out of nowhere. He narrowed his eyes at the image of the young blond. He seemed vaguely familiar for some reason that he could not explain.

If there was one thing that Naraku hated it was not knowing something, especially if that something might be a threat and this blond was definitely a threat. Few demons, let alone human's could handle Kagura as easily as he did. It was as if he was always in complete control of the situation.

Before he could ponder anymore on what the blond boy was, or why he was so powerful Naruto turned and tossed another shuriken at the bug that Kanna was using to project the image with.

Naraku snarled and stood from his position. He needed some stress relief, maybe giving Kagura a fitting 'punishment' for her failure would help him cool off.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

As one, the Inu group huddled around Kagome and Shippo letting out questions of 'Are you all right?' and 'What happened?' all at once.

Kagome took deep breaths as the nausea finally passed and her stomach settled down. When she was finally able to move again she took Shippo, who still hadn't recovered yet from the after effects of the Kawarimi, into her arms. "I'm fine." She croaked out, but then, winced in pain as her bleeding thigh came back to the forefront of her mind.

When her mind finally caught up with her she looked around for the masked man that had saved her. But she couldn't find him anywhere.

"You know……if you don't bandage that up you're gonna bleed to death." Came a voice right next to her ear, making her, and everybody else jump up twenty feet and look at the person who spoke.

And there stood the masked visage of Uzumaki Naruto. Grinning like a complete idiot behind his face mask. His eyes were the exact same upside down U's that Kakashi had. It was kinda creepy actually.

Immediately, Inuyasha stood in front of Kagome, with his sword in a ready stance and even though Miroku and Sango refrained from showing open hostility, like Inuyasha did one could tell, by the slight tensing of their muscles, that they were ready to fight at a moments notice.

"Who are you and, what do you want?" Came Inuyasha's voice with hostility.

Naruto leaned forward. "Hmmm, well I suppose I am a Ninja. And I have been hired to do a certain job…"

Everyone tensed. Ninja's were assasins and if he was here that meant that they were most likely his targets.

"And what job would that be?" Miroku asked as he began removing the beads from his hand.

Naruto eyed the monks hand warily. He did take the time to choose his next words carefully. "Let's just say……a mutual friend sent me to help you."

Everyone stopped for a moment each thinking about what he had said. After several seconds Inuyasha decided to be the voice of the group. "Huh?"

Naruto refrained from making fun of the Hanyou. "Like I said. I'm here to help you."

"Why?" This time it was Kagome's voice.

"How do you even know about the jewel?" Miroku

"Who's this friend of yours?" Sango.

"My tummy hurts." Shippou

"Feh, last thing we need is another human joining us." Predictably Inuyasha.

Naruto simply held up a hand to silence them all. "As much as I'd love to answer your questions I wont."

"Then I am afraid you cannot come with us." Came Miroku's solemn voice.

Naruto sighed. "I thought you'd say that" He muttered before perking up again. "That's why I got these!"

He lifted his fist and opened it, revealing…

"My jewel shards!!!" Kagome gasped.

Naruto smiled happily before vanishing in a swirl of leaves.


	4. What did I get myself into?

Here's a new chap.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"IRON REAVER SOUL STEALER!!!!"

Naruto rolled to the side as he avoided Inuyasha's attack. He did a quick backflip, catching the hanyou with a kick to his chin. Inuyasha growled in anger and lunged at the ninja again.

The group had been tracking him down since he had taken their shards. Of course he had left them a clear trail. He had been searching for the best place to engage them. But it appeared that when Inuyasha had sensed him having stopped moving he forced the group into an all night march.

So they had caught up.

But now the majority were dead tired and no match for him and even though Inuyasha refused to show it even his movements were more sluggish and clumsier than normal and that was saying something.

Naruto sighed. Inuyasha was strong, but he could be so much stronger if he actually fought like a fighter instead of a brawler. With a side step Inuyasha's claws barely grazed his cheek and with a chakra enforced punch right into the red clad half demons gut, the Hanyou doubled over in a coughing fit. Naruto couldn't blame him, he had packed enough chakra in that fist to make over 100 shadow clones.

"Next time don't leave yourself so wide open. First shinobi technique: Taijutsu." He said in a similar tone to that of his old senseis when he did something wrong.

"Inuyasha!"

'_The monk!' _Naruto turned around and saw Miroku as he threw several of his Sutra at Naruto.

The young Anbu leapt into the air and back flipped to land safely in a tree branch.

"HIRAIKOTSU!"

Naruto's head snapped around in the direction he had heard the voice. "WHAT?!"

He barely registered the sight of Sango's massive boomerang before it plowed straight through the tree he had claimed as his perch.

He grunted in slight pain as he hit the ground. Luckily he was able to roll with it and got to his feet much quicker than what most would have been able to do were they in his position.

A shift in the air caught his attention and he caught an arrow, that would have hit him in the thigh, between his thumb and index finger. He looked at the point and then turned to the girl who fired it. "You could have hit me!" He mocked.

Kagome sweatdropped but then her temper flared. Was he insulting her?

'_THAT JERK!'_ She mentally yelled before notching another arrow, this one glowed with miko energy.

'_Ohhhhh, shit!' _Naruto mentally yelped before sprinting away to avoid the demented one's arrows.

As he finally escaped Kagome's firing range the blond could breath again. Geeze, if he didn't know any better he'd say they were trying to kill him……

"HA!" Came Sango's voice as she slammed Her Hiraikotsu down in an attempt tocleave him in two from head to toe.

The blond side stepped and as Sango's boomerang slammed into the earth he swiftly placed his foot down on top of it, stopping her from lifting it up again.

Sango didn't even blink before she took out the sword she always kept as a backup and swiped at the blond.

As if it was done by magic a kunai was in Naruto's hands and he blocked the young demon slayers blade with his own. With his free hand he took out another kunai and moved to slice at her.

Sango, by reflex, let go of her Hiraikotsu and grabbed his wrist.

Naruto smirked and with some quick footwork, Hiraikotsu flew high into the air. Sango now saw his plan, he wanted to separate her from her weapon of choice.

Naruto saw Inuyasha approaching behind him from the reflection of Sango's blade and mentally cursed. He let go of the kunai that was in the hand Sango had grabbed and grabbed _her_ wrist this time.

Sango's eyes went wide with shock before the blond gave her wrist a violent twist making her scream out in pain. Her grip on her sword slackened for a brief moment and Naruto seized it.

Before Sango knew what was happening her sword was out of her grasp and she was facing Inuyasha, who had stopped mid attack.

Naruto kicked her towards the Hanyou and leapt back to a safe distance.

He was about to make his escape when…

"WIND TUNNEL!" Miroku yelled. His intention was not to suck the blond in, since that would take the jewel shards as well, but to merely stall him long enough for the whole group to get there.

Naruto cursed as the howling winds drew him towards the black void. If it wasn't for using chakra to stick to the ground he would have been sucked in already. _'Allright, think Uzumaki. How do you get yourself out of this one?'_

He thought for a few moments before something hit him. _'Of course!' _

With a discrete hand seal he made a shadow clone.

Miroku watched the ninja struggle to keep himself from being sucked in. As a matter of fact…Just HOW was he keeping himself in place anyway?" He wasn't even holding onto a branch or anything?

Before he could ponder on this anymore he watched as the blond threw a chain into the bushes and pulled the chain back, in which emerged…

SHIPPOU!!

Miroku's eyes went wide for a brief moment before he quickly wrapped his cursed hand with the prayer beads again. But his shock turned to confusion as 'Shippou' vanished in a puff of smoke.

"Second Shinobi technique: Genjutsu."

Naruto smirked but it died as soon as he saw that he was surrounded. Miroku infront of him, Inuyasha behind him, Sango to his left and Kagome to his right.

He looked up.

Nope Kirara had that covered too.

Kagome then.

"Fox fire!" Came Shippou's cry as the area infront of Kagome was covered in blue flames. It appeared as if the little fox knew where his train of thought was heading. Oh well.

"Well now, this is a predicament isn't it?" He asked with his usual laziness.

Inuyasha growled. "Hurry up and give us back the jewel shards and maybe I wont kill you."

Naruto lazily took out the small glass jar from his pocket. "You mean these?" He asked as he lazily rolled them between his thumb and index finger.

He saw the whole group tense and he smiled.

"Nah, I think I'll keep them!" He said happily.

"Feh" Inuyasha snorted. "Have it your way!" He said before unsheathing Tetsusaiga and running for the blond.

Naruto's eyes glinted with mischievousness. A glint that was not lost on Miroku.

"INUYASHA STOP!" He tried to call out, but it was far too late.

Before Inuyasha could react he felt two hand's wrap around his ankles and in a flash he was neck deep in dirt.

Naruto sprouted from the ground infront of him with his eyes as upside down U's that practically danced with amusement. "Third Shinobi technique: Ninjutsu."

He then felt the cold edge of Sango's sword on his neck. She had managed to seize the opportunity, while Miroku, Kagome, Shippou and…scratch that Kirara was breathing down his neck. But still the other three were gawking at him.

"Give us the shards and release Inuyasha now, assassin!" Her voice was as cold as the steel on his neck.

But still. He wasn't going to give them the illusion of victory. They had been getting by through the skin of their teeth. They had to learn, especially Inuyasha that they were not invincible or they would find out the hard way.

Already if it wasn't for Sesshomaru's timely arrival against the mercenary that used poisons most, if not all of the group would never have made it past the Mnt.Hakurei adventure.

So yes. This was one battle; they were not going to win.

With movement none of the Inu group believed any human capable of Naruto had managed to twist around In Sango's hold with only a tiny cut on his neck to show for it and managed to grab her sword arm and twist it behind her back.

"Sango!" Miroku moved forward but with a few one handed seals he, Kagome, Shippou and Kirara were surrounded by shadow clones that were pointing some very sharp objects at their necks.

"It looks like you guy's lose. Naruto said in a bored tone.

The inu group all gulped and came to the realization that indeed. They had lost.

Then in an instant, the shadow clones vanished and Sango was released.

Naruto smiled and tossed Kagome the bottle of shards. "Here ya go!"

Kagome fumbled as she caught the bottle and stared at the blond ninja with wide disbelieving eyes. "Bu-but why?"

Naruto leveled her with a blank stare. "You can't figure it out?"

Kagome and the rest of the group including Inuyasha, who was still buried stared confusedly at the young ninja. Naruto sighed. "It was all a test. A way for me to test you."

Inuyasha blinked stupidly. "Test us? For what?"

Naruto turned to the entombed Hanyou with a lazy eye. "Your abilities, and I must say they are quite…lacking. You have potential but it is all mostly untapped."

"What the hell do you mean lacking? I'll show you lacking you little blond haired bastard!" Was Inuyasha's reply as he started grunting and trying to escape his earthly imprisonment.

Naruto sighed and turned to the others. "Like I said before. I was sent by a mutual friend to help you. And I'm going to do it even if I have to beat all of you on a daily basis to do it."

Everyone exchanged glances. Was he serious? Miroku chose to step up first. "Excuse me but…How exactly will you be helping us?"

Naruto shrugged. "Traveling with you, hunting shards, fighting Naraku, the usual. Who knows give it time and I might even teach you guys a thing or two."

"Feh, like anything you can do is better than what I could do." Was Inuyasha's reply as he continued to struggle.

Naruto turned to him with a lazy eye roll. "I'm not the one who's buried up to my neck am I?"

Inuyasha had the decency to blush before he growled and began spouting off curses.

Naruto and the rest of the group shook their heads before Naruto decided to start his mission. "Now then, can anyone tell me why I was able to defeat you?"

No one spoke until Shippou shyly raised his hand.

Naruto turned to the Kitsune with a smile. "Yes?"

"Ummm, because you were stronger than all of us?" He said looking at the ninja with wide innocent eyes.

Naruto's smile grew. "Sorry wrong, but thanks for the vote of confidence. No the real reason I lost was because none of you truly know teamwork."

"What do you mean?" Kagome began "We've all worked together for a long time now!"

Naruto nodded. "True, you've all worked together but you don't know teamwork. I'm stronger than you individually but if the guy with dog ears and the demon slayer would have pulled a double team along with you Kagome giving long range support I don't think even I would have survived _'without the use of jutsu' _But instead you all attacked me in a disorganized rabble. If you all learn how to work together, truly work together, then even ten Narakus with no teamwork won't stand a chance against you."

Everyone, but Inuyasha, who was still busy trying to get free seemed to be considering this.

Naruto decided to continue. "Another reason you all lost is that I imagine one man army over here." He pointed to Inuyasha. "Made you run all night in an effort to catch up to me ne?"

They all gave a reluctant nod. Naruto smiled even wider. "I thought so, all of your moves were sluggish and slightly off target. In your desperation to catch up with me, you left yourself vulnerable and would have been dead right now if I truly was an assassin."

Inuyasha, who had caught this part of the conversation let his ears drop against his head and diverted his eyes away from the group.

Naruto gave a yawn. "Right, well I suggest we get him out of there so we can start heading back wherever it is your going. My name is Naruto by the way." He said with upside down U's as eyes.

"Kagome" She said with a bright smile.

"Miroku" The monk said with a formal respect and even a little fear, though he hid it well.

"Sango" She introduced herself with a tone of respect one has for another's abilities.

Shippou bounded up to the ninja and waved at him. "Hi, I'm Shippou!" Naruto smiled and bent down to ruffle the fox kits hair. "It's nice to meet you Shippou."

Kirara in her small two tailed form walked up next to the kitsune and gave a soft mew.

"Ohh, and who might this be?"

"Kirara." Sango replied as she bent down and the small cat crawled up her arm and perched itself on her shoulder.

"Glad were all introduced. NOW CAN YOU GET ME THE HELL OUT OF HERE!" Inuyasha yelled.

"Ahh, of course." Naruto said absently before making a few hand seals. "Kai"

Inuyasha rose in a cocoon of earth that crumbled to dust as it raised itself above the surface.

Inuyasha dusted himself off and turned.

Only to find Naruto's blue eyes right infront of him. "What the hell do you want?" He snapped. The blond had humiliated him and his ego was still very bruised.

"We're gonna go back to Kaede's village right Inuyasha?" Kagome asked the Hanyou.

"Yeah." He grunted back before kneeling so she could get up on his back.

Kagome did so with Shippou climbing on Inuyasha's shoulder and Miroku and Sango climbing up on Kirara.

"You'd better keep up!" Inuyasha said in warning before taking to the trees.

Sango turned to ask if he wanted to mount Kirara but with a smile and a shake of his head he sent them off.

He sighed tiredly. "Midoriko, just what have you gotten me into?" He muttered before vanishing in a swirl of leaves.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Well, here's an update. Also stop voting. The polls are closed for now and will be reopened later on in the story. Specifically when you see just exactly how the relationship between Naruto and (whoever he ends up with) will be like. He will share a scene with each one of the females and then you can place your votes.

That's all I wanted to say if anyone, preferably an expert on Inuyasha has any ideas they think could be integrated in this story then go ahead and share


	5. Welcome to Naruto's boot camp

Well I'm back. Also. For the people waiting for an update on the story **A twist of fate **I want you all to know that I'm already working on it. But I want to add something more than just 'everythings okay now, lets head back to fighting Iwa' So it might take just a bit more time, I'm hoping to have it up by Friday but if it doesn't happen then I want you to know that it's in development.

Also someone asked how many other crossover adventures I'm thinking of. So here's your answer:

Naru/Star Wars

Naru/LOTR (Lord of the rings)

Naru/Final Fantasy X

Naru/Teen Titans (What can I say. I read a few fics, watched some episodes and I have plenty of time on my hands)

Naru/Spiderman

Naru/Dead or Alive/Ninja Gaiden

Naru/Yu Yu Hakusho.

And finally Naru/Halo.

Anyway, those are the ideas I have for crossovers. I might even add a Naru/Omnimusha somewhere in there. But anyway Yes I do have the ability to present most if not all of these crossovers in a believable way.

Maybe, but it is still very unlikely I may place a Naru/DBZ crossover, but as it stands right now, it doesn't look like its gonna happen.

Oh well here's the update.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The group of, now seven, travelers slowly descended the hill that led to Kaede's village.

Inuyasha was infront, as usual with Kagome rolling her bike down the road a little ways behind him with Shippou and the yellow backpack perched comfortably in the front basket. Miroku and Sango were slightly behind her having a private conversation.

Or not so private Naruto was a little ways behind them and was silently listening in even though it did not appear to be so.

"Honestly Miroku, I don't see what you're so worried about." Was Sango's voice in a slightly hushed tone.

" I just find it strange, don't you?"

"Of course I find it strange but that doesn't explain why you're so worried."

"I've never heard of, much less seen any ninja move and fight the way he has. He seemed even faster than Koga when he twisted himself to escape the hold you had on him. Not only that but at the end he formed those…_coppies _of himself. And they were solid, not just a simple illusion. We've all encountered ninjas and even demons that specialize in illusions and I have never seen anything like it."

"That is true but I don't think he's here to harm us."

Miroku nodded his head rather discreetly. "I agree with you Sango. If he wanted to harm us he would have already done it. And I don't think he is after the jewel shards either. If he was then he could have easily taken them as well. Still. The copies, his speed and the trick where he buried Inuyasha…I'm not sure he's entirely human.

"But…wouldn't we have sensed any kind of demonic aura or any difference it may have had from humans? Especially since he's so close."

Miroku nodded again. The only thing that I find different of his aura is that it seems much more…potent than any other humans." He paused and turned to the demon slayer. "I'm not saying anything yet, but I think we should keep an eye on him." Sango nodded and the walk continued on in silence.

Naruto let out a soft sigh.

Inuyasha who's sharp hearing had picked up the entire conversation also picked up Naruto's sigh. He sent the young Anbu a discreet glance over his shoulder. _'Could he have heard them?' _The Hanyou asked himself. _I wouldn't put anything beyond that guy but…he has to have some pretty sharp hearing in order to listen to them when he's so far away.'_

He mentally shrugged before crossing his arms and continuing.

Naruto stopped walking when a sight that nearly made him break down crossed his sight.

A cheery blossom.

The stray leaf slowly floated through the air like a ship searching for the light house. It seemed to hover for a brief moment before, finally, as if by magic. Began floating towards him. He slowly extended his hand and the blossom fell into it.

He stared at it, for a good long while becoming lost in the memories of his past. It was painful, remembering any of them. But it was especially painful remembering her. She wasn't just his teammate, but his friend as well. She had helped him, and he had helped her.

Memmories, both good and bad floated up to the surface. But the one that struck out the most, was also the most painful.

'_Live' _Her voice whispered to him even now.

A single tear slowly escaped out of his eye, trailing down his cheek and wetting his face mask. _'I will'_ He thought softly before a soft wind blew the petal out of his hand.

'_Mew'_ Was the only warning Naruto got before he felt Kirara licking the spot where his tear had fallen.

He was jerked out of his memories from the sensation and slowly looked to the two tailed fire cat that was perched comfortably on his shoulder. How she had gotten there he had no idea.

He smiled at the cat demon and lightly petted her head. "Don't worry, I'll be fine." Kirara let off another soft _Mew_ and purred as Naruto scratched under her chin.

"Oh, so you like that do you?" Naruto chuckled.

"HEY NINJA WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING ACK THERE!" Came Inuyasha's yell from a little ways down the road.

Naruto waved him off. "Nothing Inuyasha…" His face became clouded with sadness once more. "Nothing at all."

And so he walked off, leaving the falling Sakura petals, behind him.

Kirara watched the blond ninja's expressions change and felt a little worried. She had spent the better part of two days contemplating the blond young man. Trying to determine if he was a threat or not. When they were fighting she detected no evil intent in his scent only the occasional adrenalin rush, but that was about it.

But it was then after the fight that his scent began to change and eventually indicate that he was sad. It was a subtle thing so subtle infact that the little neko doubted that Inuyasha could pick up on it without a few more centuries experience. Perhaps Sesshomaru, but not Inuyasha.

Still she was confused. Why did this enigma that her master had called a 'Ninja' simply speak about his problems. She had often seen Sango speak her woories and troubles to Kagome. So why wont he do the same? Sometimes the two legged ones could make things so complicated.

The little Neko gave a silent shrug before streatching and curling herself into a ball on his shoulder with both tails wrapped around his neck.

Naruto laughed softly as Kirara's fur tickled him and the little Neko gave what appeared to be a smile at her achievement.

For now the sadness was gone.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

HEY OLD LADY ARE YOU HERE!!! Came Inuyasha's voice as he pushed aside the cloth that covered the entrance.

Kaede looked up from her work with a relieved expression on her face. "Inuyasha, ye are well?"

Inuyasha scoffed. "Feh, of course we're allright ya old bat." Was his rude reply.

"Inuyasha Sit!" Was Kagome's stern voice. In an ionstant the prayer beads glowed and Inuyasha plowed straight through the ground.

Miroku sighed as he entered the hut, following Kagome. "Honestly Inuyasha, you shouldn't be so rude."

Inuyasha lifted his head and glared at the teenage girl. "STOP THAT YOU DUMB BI…"

"**SIT"** Kagome yelled at the top of her lungs sending Inuyasha straight through the wooden floor, probably breaking his back in the process.

Kaede moaned in despair. "Ohhh, my floor. I had jusat finished cleaning them.

"Sorry Kaede" Kagome mumbled in an apologetic tone.

Inuyasha groaned in pain.

But everyone was more worried about the wood.

"Kagome, I think you killed him." Shippou put in as he stared down at the hole with the red clad boy inside.

"No Shippou, he's far to stubborn for that." Was Naruto's voice from directly behind the little fox kit making him and everyone else, except for Inuyasha jump ten feet in the air.

"WOULD YOU STOP DOING THAT!" Every one, except Kaede yelled.

"What are you doing back here Assasin?" Kaede asked as she reached for her bow at the corner of the room. "Ahh, Kaede-Baasan how nice to see you again." Was Naruto's cheerful reply.

Everyne exchanged glances. "You two ummm, know eachother?" They each asked.

Naruto suddenly appeared right next to Kaede and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Of course, Kaede3 and I go way back, don't we Kaede?"

The old woman was about to retort when she heard Naruto whisper in her ear. "Say yes and I will explain everything later."

The old woman paused in her decision. But stiull. He did appear to be traveling with the Inu group and he was willing to speak of his presence here if she told the group this.

Also there was something about the blond that asked her to trust him and something inside of herself was beckoning to do so as well.

With a slow nod Kaede gave her consent.

"Kaede, why didn't you tell us you knew a ninja?" Kagome asked as she sat down next to the older woman.

Kaede was at a loss, as a priestess she hardly ever lied before and so she did not know of how to come up with one at a moments notice.

Fortunately she didn't have to. "Oh I had asked her to keep knowledge of my existence a secret." Naruto said with his usual cheerful tone.

"How did you meet?" Sango asked, with genuine interest.

Naruto smiled. "That is another story for another time."

He stretched and gave Kaede a pat on the back. "Well I'm gonna go for a walk. I'll see you all later." He spoke cheerfully before walking out the door.

Kaede looked to her bow and noticed a small note attached to it. While the others in the room went about their things and conversations she discretely took the note and read.

'_Wait twenty minutes and meet me in the wet fields.'_

Kaede folded the note and when noone was looking threw it into the fire.

She waited a few minutes before finally standing and grabbed a bucket. "I believe I need more water for the stew. I shall return shortly."

And with that the old priestess left her small hut.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kaede slowly made her way through the village. When the wet fields finally came into view she saw Naruto, crouching before a group of children. She stopped and watched.

Naruto sat infront of a group of no more than ten children. He chuckled at their faces. He would never be able to do this in Konoha, everyone knew what a ninja was but here.

A small earth dragon slowly rose from the earth, all of the children watched in fascination as Naruto blew a small stream of flame that formed into a fire dragon, followed closely by a water dragon.

The children watched with gaping mouth's at the sight of the three dragons swirling around eacother.

Naruto added to the effect by using his wind chakra to pick up leaves and make swirling motions around the beasts. "Once upon a time there were three powerful dragons that ruled the universe. One of fire and ash, powerful and brash. One of water and Ice, wise and fast. And one of earth and stone, ancient and kind. Each one was just as strong as the other and all equally ambitious. They fought, and fought and fought forever in an eternal conflict. Until one day, Kami, wanting to put an end to their quarreling took the dragons into his hand and slowly sealed them away. Creating the world as we know it. The dragon of water became the seas and rivers. Gentle and flowing, just as the dragon they come from. The one of earth became the very soil we stand on. Powerful and kind to those who nurture it. and the fire dragon became the great sun. proud and stubborn."

Slowly the images faded away and crumbled to nothingness. The children all gawked at him before bursting out into cheers and squeals of excitement. Each one ran up to him and bombarded him with hundreds of questions a second.

Naruto chuckled softly. Even though it was chaotic he enjoyed it. The parents of children would always shy them away when he approached. Now however he was able to enjoy the presence of children without the peoples fear or hate.

He stood from his crouched position. "Ah ah ah" He chided. A magician never reveals his secrets, npow off you go. Your parents are probably waiting for you. The children all gave a small. "Aww." In disappointment but shuffled away none the less.

Naruto chuckled once more as he watched them walk away.

"I assume you're ready?" He asked over his shoulder to Kaede's hunched form.

"Who are you and why are you here? Who sent you?"

Naruto smirked. "Well, my name is Uzumaki Naruto and I'm here to help you all get the jewel shards away from Naraku. And as for who sent me. Hmmm, I don't think I can tell you that just yet." He replied shrugging.

Kaede narrowed her eyes at him. "You said you would explain everything."

"I did, didn't I?" Naruto said with a thoughtful 'Hmmm'

He sighed and turned back to her. With a casual yet serious eye he spoke. "Know that I was sent here to specifically help Kagome and Kikyo. Though as of now it appears the second is rumored to be dead. But if she is still alive then I must help them both."

"Why?"

Naruto remained silent, choosing his next words. "Lets just say it benefits the one I am serving."

"But who--" Kaede paused as realization dawned on the elder Miko. "The only person it could possibly benefit from helping Kagome or Kykio would be…The Shikon…Lady Midoriko!!!" She exclaimed and swayed on her feet as she suddenly felt dizzy.

Narruto appeared next to her and placed a steady hand on her shoulder. "Easy now. Your pretty sharp for an old woman Kaede. I didn't expect you to figure it out so soon."

Kaede looked at the ninja with a new respect in her eyes. To truly be beckoned by the lady Midoriko herself one had to be great. "But where did you come from. How did you get here."

Naruto fliched as if he was struck. "That, is another story for another time." He said. His voice was hollow and haunted and Kaede had to hold back a shiver that threatened to go down her spine at the sound of it.

Naruto regained his composure and looked at her. "Don't tell any of the group about this. If they know it might make my mission much more difficult."

Kaede slowly nodded. "I understand."

Naruto nodded back and began making his way into the vgillage, all the while repressing the memories of a past he longed to banish.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

As Naruto approached the hut Inuyasha was suddenly heard for three whole miles.

"YOU CANT GO BACK NOW! WE HAVE SHARDS TO FIND!"

"As expected Kagome's voice followed shortly after. "I HAVE TESTS INUYASHA AND I HAVE FRIENDS AND A WHOLE OTHER LIFE THAT I HAVE TO GET TO. IF I DON'T PASS THESE EXAMS I'LL NEVER GET IN TO COLLEDGE AND IF I DON'T GET INTO COLLEDGE I'LL NEVER FIND A JOB AND IF I DON'T FIND A JOB I WONT MAKE A LIVING AND I WONT MAKE ANY MONEY AND IF I DON'T MAKE ANY MONEY THEN **NO MORE RAMEN! EVER!**"

Inuyasha grunted, He almost caved but he held firm. "I'm not letting you go and that's final."

"**SIT!"** And Kaede got a second hole in her floor.

Naruto parted the curtain and whistled in appreciation. "Yup big sit."

He then looked at Kagome's fuming form and smiled. "Don't worry Kagome. You can go."

Everyone in the group looked at the latest addition to their group in silent wonder that he would dare step in between Kagome and Inuyasha's usual arguments.

Kagome sent him a grateful glance and Inuyasha stood up from his hole. "Who the hell said you had any say in the situation."

Naruto spared him a lazy glance. "Because while Kagome is doing her exam. You and I will be training. Or more specifically refining that…stile that you like to call swordsmanship."

Inuyasha growled. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Naruto ignored him and turned to Sango. "You Sango will be learning how to throw these." He took out a kunai and a shuriken and a few exploding tags.

Then to Miroku. "And you Miroku will be learning how to make these." He took out numerous seal designs and scrolls with different forms of written seals.

He then turned to Shippou. "To many things to name."

"Hey!"

Naruto then smirked sadistically. Oh and don't worry Kagome I got something special in mind for when you come back."

His tone was dark and foreboding. Kagome shivered and suddenly felt like taking a two or three month vacation.

Naruto's sadistic glee could be seen even behind the face mask. "Welcome to Naruto's boot camp."

His dark laughter echoed through the hut.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Well I hope you guys enjoyed my Christmas present. Happy holidays


	6. Training is hell

Looks like I'm back.

Also for those of you who were wondering I made that story with the dragons up myself.

And some people seemed to have misunderstood the crossover thing. Those aren't for votes I just listed the number of crossovers I have in my head that are planned out or partially planned out. I'm gonna make them all eventually. Or at least I'm planning to.

Anyway lets get on with the story.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sango groaned in pain from her place on the floor of Kaede's hut Miroku sat beside her, his hand, for once was utterly still. They were both filthy and looked like they had gone through world war three without sleeping eating and withonly two rounds of ammo and a bayonet.

Kaede looked at the two with wide eyed astonishment. She thought they had remained in the village all day. What kind of demon did they fight and how far was it? She was about to open her mouth to ask when the cloth parted, revealing Shippou who took two steps into the hut before falling face first into the ground with an audible thud.

He didn't move.

But he was still breathing. Kaede stared at the, now three, occupants owlishly.

Finally after a full minute of silence she opened her mouth to speak when Sango spoke.

"Kaede, did Kagome-chan leave either her As-pir-en or the one's that put people to sleep?" She asked with a faint groan.

Kaede blinked before looking around. "No she did not."

Sango gave what sounded like a cross between a moan of despair and a sob of misery.

Kaede finally managed to speak. "What happened to ye?"

Shippou painfully lifted a single finger and spoke, his voice muffled by the wooden floor. "Naruto's Boot camp"

Kaede blinked stupidly. "Tell me. What exactly is 'Naruto's boot camp'?

"The realm of pain and suffering."

"The tenth level of hell"

"You don't want to know?"

Was the general response of the group. Kaede blinked stupidly again.

Sango decided to elaborate. "He had us train."

That was it? They had trained and were complaining like a bunch of babies. She was about to open her mouth to speak when Miroku spoke.

"That…" He gritted out. "Was not training. That was a sadistic form of torture that he called training."

Shippou groaned.

Kaede blinked. "Just what did he have you do?"

Sango groaned. "Well with me it was."

_Flashback:_

"_Ahh, Sango. So glad you could join me." Naruto said smiling his signature smile at her as he stood from his perch on a stone._

_Sango looked around the clearing. "So what form of training will we be doing now?"_

_Sango smiled. "So glad you asked." He made a simple seal. "Kai."_

_Sango watched in fascination as the air in the clearing shimmered before a set of targets four on the ground and seven up on the trees and an obstacle course (which was riddled with traps she couldn't see) stood about twenty yards distance from them._

_Naruto smiled as he presented her with about twenty Kunai and fourty Shuriken. "Well now. The first step in your training is quite simple. I want you to learn how to threw Shuriken." He presented the star. Throw them until you hit the ground based bulls eye five times in a row. Then learn how to throw the Kunai." He showed her the special dagger. "The same as the kunai. Your gonna keep throwing until you can hit the bulls eye five times in a row."_

_Sango stared at the foreign weapons before turning back to Naruto. "Why do I have to learn how to throw these? I have Hiraikotsu."  
_

_Naruto blinked lazily. "While it is true that Hiraikotsu is a powerful weapon its much to cumbersome for precise strikes. For example lets say that one of Naraku's insects is spying on you. You discover it, now its trying to escape. Inuyasha is the only one that has the speed to chase it down and your Hiraikotsu is easily dodged by the insect because of its large size and the time it takes to reach its target. So because of that it manages to reach high enough to escape Inuyasha and report back to Naraku. All of that headache can be easily avoided with a simple kunai or shuriken toss. They not only move through the air faster but are difficult to see making them hard to dodge. Not only that if your in a major fight and you throw your hiraikotsu your sword can take a second or two in order to draw it should a demon come in close. Time that you do not have. The kunai and Shuriken are quick draw weapons that you can throw five, six, eight in a single toss dispatching your enemies quickly and cleanly. Any other questions?"_

_Sango shook her head and realized that perhaps these weapons did indeed have their advantages. So she grabbed one and prepared to throw._

"_Stop." Naruto said as he walked forward. He gently gave her feet a slight nudge to settle them in the right position. Along with her arms. "Now go." He stepped back and she started._

_Flashback End:_

"I got that down preety quickly and then after that I had to run while throwing the weapons. It was difficult but with the experience I had gotten with Hiraikotsu I mannged to finish it a few hours before dusk." She explained.

"That doe not sound so strenuous." Kaede spoke.

Sango let out a bitter chuckle. "Ohhh but this is where it gets good."

_Flasback:_

_Naruto smiled at his weapon throwing protégée __"Good. Now listen up. This obstacle course is riddled with traps. Every trap is designed to be seen and removed from a distance. Therefore with the proper use of Kunai and Shuriken one can quite easily escape unharmed. I'll let you keep Hiraikotsu as a shield but don't throw it. Only Kunai and Shuriken. Got it?"_

_Sango nodded and with a brave face began walking in._

_Naruto watched her go with a lazy eye. "Hmmm, maybe I should have warned her to look underneath the underneath." He shrugged. "Oh well. She'll live…I think."_

_He vanished in a swirl of leaves._

_Flashback end:_

"So what did the obstacle course have in it?" Kaede asked. But Sango did not answer. Instead she shuddered and began mumbling to herself.

Kaede looked to Miroku next.

The monk sighed.

_Flashback:_

_Naruto stood infront of the perverted priest "I assume you know how to write?" Miroku nodded, making Naruto smile. "Good, that's less for me to teach."_

_The young Anbu then took out various Kanji of seals, some simple, some complicated. "You're going to write these over and over again until you can do five in less than ten seconds. Understood?"_

_Miroku looked at the odd kanji with an inquisitive eye. "What is the purpose of this?Are they incantations of some sort?" _

_Naruto nodded. "You can say that. In my…where I came from people used seals such as these to do anything from healing wounds, sealing away a consciousness of a person, sealing away someones strength, erecting barriers, affecting the land on a large scale. Of course the more powerful the seal the more complicated it is. Some incantations possess hundreds upon thousands of written seals. A summoning has at least five hundred of these seals written in a scroll and then the person using it must make at least sixteen seals more in order to finish. Who knows. With enough seals one might even be able to seal away that void in your hand"  
_

_Miroku looked at the blond Anbu with a flicker of hope appearing in his eyes. "What exactly is a summoning?" He asked trying to hide the sliver of hope that had grown in him._

_Naruto smiled. "I might show you some time. But not just yet. Now get started. You're gonna become this groups seal specialist."  
_

_Miroku sighed and sat down. Taking out a brush and some ink he began._

_Seven hours: Thirty two minutes: fourty two seconds later:_

_Miroku's hand throbbed with pain as he traced the black ink over the scroll again. He groaned softly "Can we stop now?"_

_Naruto looked up from the scroll he was reading to the setting sun and nodded. "Allright." He stood and walked over to Miroku who was already standing up._

"_Now then. Before we leave lets see how fast you can write."_

_He tossed Miroku a blank scroll which the monk caught easily._

_Naruto grinned. "While dodging knives."_

_Miroku barely had enough time to let out a small "What?" before Naruto began attacking._

_Needless to say, the scroll was still blank._

_Flashback end:_

Kaede then looked to Shippou.

The little Kitsune managed to drag himself closer to the fire before he began.

_Flashback:_

_Little Shippou was standing infront of Naruto's masked form with wide innocent eyes. They were standing at the top of the steps that led to the shrine with two empty buckets next to them. At the bottom of the steps (Around fifty) there were two buckets loaded to the brim with water._

_Naruto smiled at the little Kitsune. "Shippou, can you tell me what your greatest assests would be?"_

_The little Kitsune looked rather bashful as he scratched the back of his head with a small blush on his cheeks. "Ummm, well I have my illusions."_

_Naruto smiled. "True. But that's not the only thing you have." He smiled as he knelt so he could be at eye level with the little Kitsune. "One good thing you have Shippou is…your small."_

_Shippou face faulted and then grew angry. "If I don't have anything other than my illusion skills to help everyone then just say so! Don't lie to me!"_

_Naruto smiled and waved his hands in a wavering gesture. "Now now Shippou. Theres no need to get angry. Being small can actually be a good thing in a fight especially for a Kitsune."_

_Shippou still looked peeved but the small sparkle of interest in his eyes showed Naruto that the little Kitsune was listening so he continued. _

"_As of right now, your height is a disadvantage, but in order to capitalize on that you must first train your speed and agility, something that Kitsune's thrive in. Think about it Shippou, what's easier to hit a fast moving small target or a large slow one?"_

"_A large slow one." Shippou said now with a little excitement in his eyes. Naruto nodded. "Exactly. But your not fast enough yet. So you and I will be training to up your speed and later I'll teach you how to combine your speed with power to make you a formidable opponent. But I have to warn you, it will be difficult and sometimes, even painful. Do you want to do this?"_

_Shippou looked hesitant for a brief moment before his eyes filled with determination. That was all Naruto needed. He smiled. "Good. Our training will be going in stages. First we'll up your stamina and endurance so that you don't get too tired to quickly. Afterwards we'll be doing actual speed training, and then agility with coordination. After that I'll teach you how to use your speed in order to confuse and disorient you opponents. Okay?" _

_Shippou nodded enthusiastically. Naruto smiled. But he had to ask himself if the little Kit would be so enthusiastic by the end of the day._

"_Good!" He exclaimed as he stood. He took two tea cups and handed them to Shippou. "I want you to take these two cups and run down the stairs, fill them up with the water in the buckets at the bottom, then run up and pour the water into these empty buckets here next to me. Don't stop until these buckets are full. Allright?"_

_Shippou nodded and began marching down the stairs. What he didn't know was that the buckets had a special jutsu placed on them that would absorb the water making it rise very slowly practically quadrupelling the amount of time it would take to fill them up and the buckets at the bottom were being fed directly from the nearby rivers with the use of a modified earth jutsu._

"_Sorry Shippou but it's for your own good."_

_Flashback end:_

"I see. Well he presents valid points and I believe this training suits you all. But where is Inuyasha?" The old lady asked.

Almost as if waiting for his summoning Inuyasha staggered through the door with an untransformed Tetsusaiga dragging behind him. He looked worse than all the others put together. With a muffled groan the Hanyou leaned against the wall and slowly slid down.

"So what happened to ye?"

"Sadistic bastard." The Hanyou muttered.

_Flashback:_

_Naruto stood in front of Inuyasha, who had his arms crossed with a scowl adorning his features. He looked around before choosing two decent looking sticks and tossed one at Inuyasha who caught it easily._

"_What the hell are we doing here?"_

_Naruto took his stick in one hand and gave it a few test swings. "This'll do nicely." He muttered to himself before turning to Inuyasha. "Like I said yesterday, we'll be refining, or should I say, creating that disaster you call swordsmanship."  
_

_Inuyasha growled in anger. "I'll show you disaster!" He snarled as he took the stick and settled himself as he got ready to fight._

_Naruto looked at his stance and identified all of the flaws. Quite a few. He absently noted. "Don't bend your knees so much, keep your back straighter and grip the weapon with both hands." He pointed out the simpler ones._

_Inuyasha ignored him and scoffed. "Shut up and fight!" He yelled before charging in his usual way, headfirst with no plan whatsoever._

_Naruto sighed. He had known quite a few people like Inuyasha. Namely, Hyuuga Neji and Sabaku no Gaara. He had to beat them all before they finally listened to him. It appeared as though Inuyasha would be no different._

_As the young Hanyou charged in with a wide swing, that to any normal human would have been lightning quick, but to Naruto was completely predictable, the young blond flicked a small pebble in his finger that hit Inuyasha square in the eye causing him to stumble back clutching his eye and cursing like there was notomorow._

_Before Inuyasha could start his attack again he felt all the air in his lungs leave in a woosh. He doubled over in pain and before he couldregister anything he saw Naruto's knee rise up and hit him squarely in the face._

_Then finally to finish it off the blond swung his stick with amazing speed and hit him right in his Addams apple. Inuyasha bent forward coughing and hacking, wheezing as he tried to get air back in his lungs._

_Naruto sighed. "Inuyasha. Unless you train and get better eventually your gonna get killed or worse everyone you care about will die." Inuyasha growled as best he could as he heaved himself off the ground. "I always win. I always find a way to win."_

"_Except against a young human boy barely reaching his twenty's just now." Naruto declared simply._

_Inuyasha growled again. "Your not human. I don't know what you are but your not human."_

_Naruto shook his head somberly. "Allright Inuyasha. Lets review your fights. I heard from Kaede that you have a brother who you always fight against. Lets see how you beat him in all of your fights."_

_Inuyasha snorted but none the less began his tales of how he 'won' each of his battles with Sesshomaru. _

_Naruto barely listened he knew the outcome of each fight already. He just had to point it out to Inuyasha._

"_I see. So your first fight you managed to cut off his arm by catching him off guard when you transformed Tetsusaiga by sheer dumb luck."_

"_Hey-" Inuyasha began but was cut off by Naruto who didn't want to give the half demon the chance to start on his high and mighty tirade._

"_And then when he had a human arm and was able to wield Tetsusaiga you managed to get it back but were basically knocked unconscious and if it wasn't for Tetsusaiga protecting you he would have ended your life right then."_

"_Feh"_

"_And then when he was searching for Totousai to make him a sword the old blacksmith had to make a river of fire to save your ass. And then finally when he had the dragons arm and was ready to completely crush you, you managed to discover the scar of the wind thus saving yourself once again through sheer dumb luck."_

"_Allright I get it."_

_Naruto narrowed his eyes "No Inuyasha I don't think you do!" Naruto's tone was angry, something Inuyasha never had heard in the short time that he had known the ninja and quite frankly never wanted to hear again._

_The blond walked right up to Inuyasha and leaned in very close to his face. "You have been winning your fights through luck and by the grace of gods. If it wasn't for your friends being there you might have never made it out of there alive." The blond sighed and his tone took on a sad note. "Take care of them Inuyasha. If they die…you might just find out life isn't worth living."He suddenly looked much, much older. A look that did not belong on the face of a seventeen year old._

_Inuyasha was taken aback by the sound of the young ninja's voice. It was the sound of a man that had been completely and utterly defeated. Of someone that had nothing left to live for. "What do you mean?" He asked before he could stop himself._

_Naruto's eyes lost the sadness in them and turned back to their lazy dull blue. "Nothing."_

_He then sighed and rubbed his head. "I won't force you Inuyasha. Think about it for a while and if you still want to train in order to protect your friends better then you can find me by the river."_

_With that said the blond vanished in a swirl of leaves. But the haunted look in his eyes was etched into the red clad Hanyou's memory._

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

_Naruto turned at the sound of rustling leaves and found Inuyasha's form emerging from the trees. _

_Before he could say anything Inuyasha tossed him a familiar stick and settled himself in a fighting stance. A real one this time._

_Naruto smiled and so he began his instruction._

_Flashback end:_

"And where is Naruto-san now?"

"He said he was gonna go take a walk and would see us early in the morning. " Inuyasha mumbled.

Kaede nodded before she turned back to the stew cooking atop the fire.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Four Naruto's made a simple seal and vanished in a puff of smoke.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Meanwhile the real Naruto opened his eyes and sat up from his meditative position in the middle of a field. With a simple seal and a look of concentration on his face he focused his chakra and four clones emerged. He put a hand to a tree in order to steady himself before looking at his four clones. "Hmmm, you four should last the whole week. You know your assignments."

The four clones nodded before leaping away.

The real Naruto watched them go before walking towards the sight of the bone eaters well.

He stared down into the darkness with a lazy expression before taking a deep breath. "Well Midoriko. I would like to see what the future is like. May I?"

The well gave a soft blue glow and Naruto leapt into the darkness of the well and felt the warm blue light envelop him as the portals of time and space was distorted he felt the warmth of Midoriko's magic on his skin almost like she herself was standing next to him, offering her protection as well as her blessing.

'_Thanks Midoriko.'_

When he opened his eyes he was met with the wooden roof of a house.

"It appears as though I've arrived."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Muahahahahahaha! Naruto in the future. What mayhem will he cause? You'll just have to wait and see.

And if any of you were wondering I'm kinda gonna make Shipous fighting style like Yoda of star wars.


	7. Naruto in the future

I'm back and the alert system's are busted……again.

What are the site runners up to anyway?

Bah, lets get on with the story.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto leapt once and gracefully exited the well. He looked around the empty shack once before walking to the door.

As he opened the door his abnormally sharp sense of smell was assaulted by a wave of foul smells. He winced at that point he officially decided, _'The future stinks'_

He closed his eyes for a moment to filter out all of the new and unpleasant scents.

After a few moments he reopened his eyes and took a good look around. A stone pathway that led to a Shrine, the Goshimboku, in the distance and what appeared to be a small shop.

He shrugged and began walking toward the shrine .

He got to the door and knocked.

"Coming!" A kid's vice, maybe it was that Souta boy.

Sure enough a few minutes later the door opened, revealing a young boy, about twelve years old with simple black hair staring up at him with curiosity.

Then…he screamed.

"AAAHHHHHHH! HE'S GONA ROB US!"

And so Naruto had the door slammed in his face!

"Well that wasn't very nice."

Souta felt his blood turn to ice at the sound of the voice directly behind him! Meaning that it was coming from inside the house, since he was facing the door.

He slowly turned his head and saw the six foot nothing blond haired masked man standing in the middle of his living room.

"Souta, what's going on!" Both boys turned and saw Kagome as she came down the stairs and gawked at Naruto.

The blond merely smiled his lazy smile and waved. "Surprise!"

Kagome stared at him for a few moments before she began sputtering in disbelief. "Wha-How-WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE!!!" She shrieked.

Naruto put on a mock hurt look and placed a hand over his heart. "My Kagome-chan, you wound me. I cannot even visit my good friend and future student?"

Kagome furiously shook her head, her raven locks flailing about and landing on her face. "Nononononononononono! You can't be here! This is the little amount of time I have to actually relax!" She walked right up to him turned him around and began pushing him out the door. "I don't know how you got through the well but I'm sending you back."

She stumbled forward as Naruto's form seemed to vanish and prepared to hit the hard ground when she felt someone grab the collar of her shirt stopping her mid fall.

Naruto smiled as he lifted her up. "Now, now, Kagome-chan, I'm staying in this time period for a few days, so either I stay here with you or walk around and cause destruction, mayhem and chaos everywhere I go. Your choice."

Kagome groaned and then in a last ditch effort tried to weasel her way out of it. "We have no room and you'd have to ask my mom."

Right on time.

"Kagome-chan, is this a friend of yours?" Naruto, Kagome and Souta turned to see a middle aged kind looking woman standing at the doorway. She was wearing an expression of genuine curiosity as she absently dried a plate with a hand towel.

Naruto smiled. "Hello!" He greeted.

Mrs.Higurashi smiled. "Good evening. Mr…

"Naruto." The blond ninja said bowing gracefully. "Uzumaki Naruto."

"Well at least he's more polite than Inuyasha." Kagome mumbled to herself. She then looked up and found Naruto staring at her with that coy smile on his face. She sighed dejectedly, it appeared as though Naruto would be staying. "Mom Souta, this is Naruto. Naruto, this is my mother and my little brother Souta. Mom, Naruto's the ninja I told you that had joined our group almost a week ago."

Mrs.Higurashi nodded with a pleasant smile on her face "I thought so when I saw the mask.

Naruto smiled sheepishly. "Am I truly that obvious?"

Mrs. Higurashi shook her head. (By the way does anyone know this woman's name?) She turned to walk back into the kitchen before she called over her shoulder. "Naruto-san will you be joining us for dinner?

Naruto was slightly taken aback by how accepting these people were. Here he was, arriving, unannounced a little past sunset and they were practically welcoming him with open arms. He was about to protest when his stomach decided to speak for him by emitting a loud grumble. He scratched the back of his head rather sheepishly. "Just a little bit, I wouldn't want to be a bother."

"Not at all." He heard Mrs. Higurashi from the kitchen.

"Kagome shook her head a little, it couldn't really be so bad , Naruto certainly had more sense than Inuyasha. So he should be able to act civil enough to not stand out so much. "Allright, I'm gonna go upstairs to take a shower you guy's can uhhhh….do whatever you want down here I guess." She finished as she headed upstairs.

Naruto and Souta stood in the living room in what was considered to be an awkward silence. Until finally the boy decided to ask. "Are you really a ninja?"

Naruto smiled benignly before…

"You'll just have to see wont you."

Souta whipped around and found Naruto two inches away from him.

He turned around to where Naruto was once standing only to find him walking towards the kitchen halfway across the room. "Hey wait up!" Souta cried chasing him.

Naruto waited for the boy to catch up, when he finally did he was bombarded with questions. " How did you do that? Can you teach me how to do that? How long have you been a ninja? Is it true that you can disappear into thin air and turn invisible and…"

Naruto laughed softly as the questions kept coming it was enjoyable to him.

"Can you scale walls? Do you know how to use a sword? Can you teach me how to use one?"

Mrs.Higurashi laughed as she heard her son continue to shoot questions a mile a minute. "Souta that's enough now. And didn't you have homework to do?"

"Aww, but mom!" The child whined.

"Souta." She said warningly.

The boy pouted as he walked up the stairs to his room.

"Hehe, Kids." The elder woman chuckled softly before turning to Naruto who wore a somewhat sad smile on his face though it was well hidden behind his face mask. "Dinners almost ready would you like something to drink?"

Naruto smiled and nodded. "Thank's, I'm sorry for the intrusion."

"Don't worry, it's not a bother at all. So tell me, since you're a ninja what feudal lord did you serve, or are currently serving."

Naruto answered with a semi-truthful answer. "I'm actually a missing nin. I don't belong to anyone."

"Oh, and why is that?"

It was an innocent question, born out of ignorance. Yet it brought painful memories just like every other reminder of his old home. With a deep breath and slight shake of his head he pushed away the memories. "Let's just say…things don't always go the way we want them to go."

The woman turned and gave him a curious look, but with the slightly faraway look in his eyes and melancholy tone she knew not to push the subject further and merely placed it in the back of her mind.

Naruto was pushed out of memory lane as she returned with a glass with some strange brownish black liquid. He took the cup and eyed it curiously. What on earth was this?"

Mrs.Higurashi smiled and answered his unasked question. "It's called pepsi, it's a modern drink and tastes quite good. Just give it a try."

She was about to turn around when she realized that this was the perfect opportunity to see his face so she stared.

Naruto hooked a finger over his mask in preparation to bring it down when his eyes widened and he pointed dramatically. "WHAT IS THAT!" He pointed behind her making her turn slightly, then he drank the drink in one huge gulp.

Mrs.Higurashi realized far too late that she had been tricked and when she turned around the cup was already empty and on the table with Naruto (fully masked) smiled at her. "That was actually quite good. Thank you for the drink."

She refrained from muttering in annoyance and tried again. "Would you like another?"

"No thank you." Naruto chirped happily as he watched her reactions. She seemed quite peeved but it was just so much fun, no wonder Kakashi sensei had always done this. This was better than when he threw live crabs into old Sarutobi's Hokage robe rack.

Mrs. Higurashi once again stopped herself from grumbling in annoyance. Oh well, she would get him at dinner. No way could he eat a full eel rice bowl quick enough for no-one to see his face.

Kagome muttered to herself as she exited the shower rubbing a towel over her hair. She dressed herself in a simple T-shirt and sleeping pants and descended the stairs, only to find the blond haired ninja sitting in the living room reading a history book while her little brother watched TV.

That fact alone surprised her, when Inuyasha had first seen the TV he had freaked and nearly blew the damn thing up. But she hadn't even heard much of a scuffle when she was in the shower, meaning that Naruto didn't get too alarmed when they turned it on. And most people would have been glued to the thing the first time they saw one, but Naruto was acting as if he had seen this sort of thing everyday.

Kagome decided something right then.

Naruto was much more of an enigma than he let on. An enigma that had to be solved.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dinner was an awkward affair as everyone continued to openly stare at the blond ninja. Naruto had noticed that they had set aside another plate. When he asked about it, they had said that 'Grandpa' was on a short trip to another town about five hours away and would be returning by train early tomorrow.

Naruto assumed that a train was a method of transportation used to travel long distances.

Still as everyone in the family watched with baited breath as Naruto went to remove his mask an inexplicable blackout occurred casting the room in complete darkness (Genjutsu) when the lights flickered back on Naruto had finished his meal and had his hands in a prayer position. "Thank you for the meal!" He said as he gave a short bow, leaving everyone to openly gawk at him.

After that everyone discreetly grumbled to themselves and ate their meal in relative silence.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

As Naruto exited the shower with some clothes that Kagome's father once possessed he still wearing his facemask. He entered the room and found Kagome sitting on her desk reading a book. "And what would that be?"

"Modern physics" She replied not taking her eyes off of the book. "I have a test tomorow and if I don't pass I might have to make up the whole year."

Naruto stared at her for a moment before walking over to a history book and then to the sheets that had been laid out for him to sleep. "It must be tough. Having to keep up with two lives."

Kagome sighed in what seemed like exhaustion. "It is. But I have a responsibility I broke the jewel in the first place so its my job to put it back together."

Naruto nodded. "Admirable." He praised.

"Kagome blushed slightly and turned to him with a smile. "Thanks."

Naruto nodded. "At what time to you leave the school?"

Kagome looked at him strangely. "At around 2:00 why?"

Naruto nodded as he lay back on the sheets. "Because you're gonna be giving me a tour of the city."

Kagome snapped her head back at him. "I'm gonna what?" She refrained from yelling…barely.

Naruto looked at her curiously. "You didn't really think I'd stay here the whole three days did you? I wanna look around."

Kagome sighed before turning back to her book.

Naruto closed his eyes and before he knew it he had fallen to the land of dreams…

Or should he say into the realm of the Shikon.

He looked around for a moment before he once again found the woman that had started all of this.

"Ahh… hello Midoriko."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Well here's a new chap. Don't worry, I'll explain Midoriko's reappearance in the next chap.

Also if anyone has any ideas they would want for some of Naruto's adventures in the future just leave it in a review. I have a couple of good ones but if anyone wants to leave an idea go ahead.


	8. Naruto's schoolastic pranking spree

Hmmm.

Here ya go!

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Midoriko smiled at Naruto as the young blond made his way towards her. "Hello Naruto." She greeted sweetly.

Naruto smiled and sat down cross-legged before her. He crossed his arms and had a mildly curious look in his eyes. "Well now, to what do I owe the unexpected visit?"

Midoriko's smile brightened. "I have been watching your progress from the few shards Kagome and her friends possess. I must admit you are surpassing my expectations and I have to thank you for the additional training you are instructing them in. Especially that Inuyasha boy. I wanted to contact you sooner but I had to wait for you to come here because the demonic presence in the modern world is much weaker than in the feudal era"

Naruto nodded and kept his smile firmly in place. "I sense a 'but' coming soon for the training part though."

Midoriko looked a bit sheepish, which was quite strange and highly undignified for the most powerful priestess in history. "Well, I believe it is safe to assume that you were planning to train Kagome in something, what would that be?"

Naruto cocked his head to the side in a thoughtful manner. "Well, Sango would specialize in long range attacks, Inuyasha would be close range, heavy combat, Shippou I would have turned into something of a scout and Miroku would be support. Kagome would have a balance of all of that. But I would have mainly focused on her close range armed combat skills since she is the least efficient in that area aside from Shippou. And I believe one such as you would know the importance of both long and close range combat for a priestess." He said the last part as he threw a pointed look to two edged straight sword at her side.

Midoriko nodded. "Indeed, I agree with that assessment but one thing that you must add is a training regiment that would train her Miko powers. As of right now, Kagome's power is like a raging storm. She has power but has no idea how to call it forth, she has been doing it by sheer instinct and merely knows the basics of how to properly channel her purification powers into her arrows. She has so much power, I believe that she may very well surpass me with enough training."

That had both of Naruto's eyebrows raised in surprise. "Surpass you? That is difficult to believe. I do not remember Kikyo having been so powerful. So how has Kagome attained such strength?"

Midoriko gave a mild shrug. "I am uncertain. It might be because Kagome possesses such a pure and compassionate heart, it might be because she was born with the Shikon within her body, it could be anything, but what I know is that that girl could very well become so powerful that even the Kyuubi no Kitsune would be wary of her."

Naruto looked thoughtful for a moment before he spoke. "Midoriko, I've been wondering. How did I arrive here, did I move forward through times, is this a completely different world, a parallel dimension?"

Midoriko sighed sadly, she knew this question was coming but she truly did not wish to tell him of the fate of his world.

"Naruto" She began. "I went back to the past to retrieve you. More specifically, 5000 years from Kagomes time. After the fall of Konohagakure, Sunagakure and Otogakure a massive power vacuum was formed and the forces of Kiri, Kumo, Iwa, Kusa, Ame and any other would be village Kage vied for land and power. A single spark turned into a roaring flame that erupted into the fourth great shinobi war."

Naruto listened unfazed as the story plaid out.

"This, coupled with the release of the Bijuu, due to the fact that the Akatsuki no longer provided enough chakra to hold them within the statue like prison they had seald them in caused the destruction of the world. Kyuubi and the rest of the Biju came forth and destroyed every last ninja, destroying every last technology, purging the land of all knowledge of chakra and opened the doors onto the realm of the Makai releasing even more, slightly weaker demons, plunging the world into an era of darkness. Eventually the other Biju turned power hungry and that once again erupted into another war, which the Kyuubi predictably won, becoming the last of the mighty Bijuu. But then, inexplicably, the Kyuubi, vanished and the doors into the Makai were sealed stopping the demons from coming into the world. Humans rose again and all demons, save for the powerful ones such as the Taiyokai, fell. Leading into what is known to Kagome as the feudal Era."

She paused to catch her breath.

"Then when I was alive and was already one of the most powerful priestesses I began hearing rumors of powerful demons terrorizing the land to the north. So I traveled there and came across such devastation I will never forget." She looked down. "So I hunted these demons and indeed they were powerful. They would have to be, because they were the second coming of the Bijuu."

Naruto's eyes widened at that.

Midoriko chuckled at his look. "Indeed, I fought the Shukaku, the death cat, the sea demon and the rest. All except for the Kyuubi. None of the demons had reached maturity so none of them were as powerful as the one's that existed during your time which is why I was able to seal them all into the Shikon along with myself."

Naruto spoke next. "But then…how did you find me?"

Midoriko looked at him slightly surprised. "It was when you released the Kyuubi, that single action created a ripple throughout time, if that would not have happened the Akatsuki leader would not be dead, meaning that the rest of the Biju would have been sealed and the world would have never fallen into its era of darkness. When that happened the Bijuu that I had sealed within the Shikon, went to him, like a moth to the flame, they tried to draw from his power, thank goodness they were unable to do so. Otherwise I doubt I would have been able to hold them back."

Naruto nodded. "I see. But does anyone know what happened to the Kyuubi?"

Midoriko shook her head. "No one knows. Some say he returned to the Makai, others say that he hid away from a world he had become bored with and would emerge again when he deemed it worthy enough to present him a proper challenge. But I cannot say for sure."

Naruto nodded and sighed, at least now he knew what had happened to his world. "Right, back to Kagome's training then. You were saying?"

Midoriko was caught flat footed by the change of subject but recovered quickly. "Oh, yes, well. In addition to what you will teach her I would also like for you to teach her how to hone her Miko powers."

Naruto raised a single eyebrow in disbelief. "Ummm, Midoriko, incase you forgot. I'm a ninja. Kagome already knows more about Miko powers than what I do."

Midoriko smiled. "I know, which is why I will tell you everything you need to train her properly."

Naruto sighed it looked like it would be a long night.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto's eyes fluttered open as the sun filtered in through Kagome's curtains.

But that wasn't what woke him up, noooooo, it was the green skirt wearing teenager running around the room with her head cut off screaming at the top of her lungs. "I'M LATE! OHHHH, DAMNIT I AM SO LATE!"

Naruto slowly sat up from his place on the floor and stretched as he yawned tiredly.

"DAMNIT WHERE IS MY MATH BOOK!" Kagome yelled as she litteraly tore through her room searching for it.

"Here ya go." She heard a voice behind her and saw the book being held out to her. She grabbed it and stuffed it in her bag, making sure that everything was in its proper place. "Damnit now where's the damn calculator!?"

Once again something was held out for her to take She looked and there was her calculator. "Thanks. Okay, it looks like everything's here." She said before hefting her bag upwards only to find Naruto standing infront of her with his bright smile, fully dressed.

"Wha-but-you just woke up three seconds ago!" She sputtered in disbelief. Naruto shook his head with the smile still on his face. "Actually five point three seconds ago."

"But-But YOUR DRESSED!!!"

Naruto nodded. "Yessssss people usually do that in order to leave their homes and begin their day." He said with a mischievous smile on his face.

'ARGH!" Kagome yelled frustrated. "I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THIS! I'M GONNA BE LATE!" She yelled passing him and walking out the door.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto silently followed the high school teen from the rooftops of Tokyo as she made her way to the school.

He had to admit the future was quite impressive, though he would prefer if it didn't smell so bad. He watched with amuse ment as she entered the school yard and three bubbly girls walked up to her and began to practically drown her with words. He thanked the gods that his hearing wasn't sharp enough to actually be able to hear them properly.

He heard a faint bell ring and saw all of the students shuffle inside. He reappeared in the front courtyard in a swirl of leaves and stared at the large building. "Well now. Lets see what mischief I can cause here."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto slowly made his way through the hallways, using a minor genjutsu to make himself invisible so that no one would see him.

He walked into what he assumed was the gym.

He watched as the girls played a sport where they had to toss a ball over a net. It would be mildly enterteaining if they weren't so slow. He shrugged. Oh well. Beggars cant be choosers.

"ALLRIGHT GIRLS HIT THE SHOWERS!" He heard the coach scream to the group and so they did and he followed.

"Ero-sennin would kill for this!" He absently muttered before walking in.

The girls were fairly attractive in their own way, he enjoyed the view for a few moments before he went into a corner of the room and made some hand seals. "Kuchiose, no jutsu!" He whispered before three dozen frogs croaked and began bouncing around. They looked confused, no doubt. They had not had a summoner for over five thousand years.

Perhaps…perhaps he should change that. This…'future' if one could call it that, felt wrong. It was incomplete. The world was wrong. Perhaps the knowledge of chakra would help heal it.

Still. That was another thought, for another time.

The reaction was almost instantaneous. All of the girls screamed and began running around in a panic, trying to escape the harmless amphibians.

Naruto silently exited the locker room and chuckled to himself as he heard the screams, crashes and general chaos behind him. "Hehehehe, priceless." He muttered before he vanished in a swirl of leaves.

'_Let's see just how much chaos I can stir up.'_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kagome found herself sitting at lunch discussing the recent and extremely strange events that had been happening throughout the entire school all day.

To say it was bizarre would have been a huge understatement.

First frogs had appeared in the girls locker room.

Then a car had been placed on the roof of the school.

Then an 84 year old history teacher had started taking off his clothes in the middle of class (Genjutsu) mentally scarring a few girls.

Then the school bully had been hug up to the flag pole by his underwear.

Then the cafeteria lady had gotten herself electrocuted making her hair stand on end. She kinda looked like Don King with an even bigger wig.

And then the entire C11 class having animals painted on their faces, with face paint that didn't come off making them look utterly ridiculous.

Oh yes and Miss Diao was dressed as a clown.

Ohhhhh, yes and let's not forget each of the toilets flooding making the school smell like human waste, while the janitor was locked in his own closet.

Hmmm, bizarre indeed. Kagome was starting to think that someone she knew was behind all of this.

Then as if to confirm her suspicions she saw a masked figure at the window grinning like a mad man. Kagome stared at him with irritation. He then started counting down with his fingers.

3

2

1

He snapped his fingers.

RRRRRIIIIIIINNNNNNGGGGGGG!!!!!

That was the sound of the school fire alarm going off along with the sprinkler system and everyone trying to rush out of the place in a complete panic.

Kagome moved to stand but before she could she felt a hand grasp her shoulder and the next thing she knew she was outside the school, barely wet at all.

She turned and glared at Naruto's smiling form. "You! You've been the one causing all the chaos around school haven't you?"

Naruto looked at her with a shocked and innocent face. 'What? Me? My dear Kagome, I would never do such a thing!!" He lied through his teeth and Kagome had to wonder if he and Miroku were related somehow.

She humphed and crossed her arms. 'Well how did you know about the sprinklers then and why did you do that anyway?"

Naruto shrugged. I got tired of waiting and if you look around it says fire alarm right on the damn thing. If its an alarm everyone would hear it.

Kagome sighed. "Well now your gonna have to keep waiting because I'm not leaving without my books."

"You mean those?" Naruto asked as he pointed to her backpack that was lying a few feet behind him.

She stared at the package, shocked beyond belief before she finally turned to him with an annoyed glare. "How the hell do you do that?"

"Do what?" He asked innocently.

Kagome sighed before walking over to her backpack and slung it over her shoulder. "Allright well you said you wanted a tour so where do you want to go?"

Naruto looked thoughtful for a moment. "The library."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"What exactly are we looking for here?" Kagome asked as Naruto scrolled through the thousands upon thousands of scrolls and books. He seemed intent on searching for something.

He stayed quiet for a few moments before he finally answered. "My past."

Kagome stared at him in disbelief before he turned the corner and she chased after him. "Hey wait up, what do you mean?"

Naruto didn't answer her instead he continued to stroll past the scrolls and books defiantly searching for something.

A certain book then caught his eye. "Ancient myths and legends." He absently murmured before looking through the index.

Finally he found what he was looking for.

"Kyuubi no Kitsune!"

He scanned through the pages when he finally came across a photograph of a scroll written in a fairly archaic version of Japanese. Definitely ancient, even before his time period perhaps.

"Hmmm, scroll of incantations said to have been written by the great demon himself. Interesting." He murmured. "Can be found in the mythology and legends section of Tokyo museum." He hmm'ed thoughtfully. "Kagome!" He called.

"Yeah?" She turned her head to him looking away from a book she had been reading.

"Can you take me here?" He showed her the page on the book.

She looked at the page before turning back to him and nodded. Naruto smiled and put the book back. "Thanks. Shall we?"

Kagome nodded and they both left for the museum.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

As Naruto neared closer and closer to where the scroll was he could feel the familiar tingle of the Kyuubi's chakra at the back of his mind. It was faint but it was still there. It appears this thing was indeed written by the beast. But to what purpose? Why would Kyuubi write a scroll? It didn't make sense.

"There it is!" Kagome said pointing at a massive scroll held within a glass container. Naruto turned to it and began walking closer, all the while feeling the tingle in the back of his mind growing. When he was finally right infront of the scroll he felt everything fade away into darkness.

All except the scroll. The kanji blurred and warped together in a spiral of flames, forming the head of a fox that smiled maliciously at him. "It appears you are indeed still alive." Naruto mumbled to himself.

The fox gave a deafening roar before the fires faded and the Kanji reformed. The world came back into view again and Naruto found himself feeling the Kyuubi's presence just beyond his senses.

"Ummm, Naruto? Are you okay?" Naruto turned and found Kagome looking at him with a bit of worry in her brown eyes. He smiled reassuringly. "I'm fine." He muttered before turning back to the scroll with a serious expression. "Just…visiting an old acquaintance."

He turned and strolled out of the museum never once looking back at the faintly glowing scroll trapped in the glass. Ignoring the silent whisper of **"You will never be free of me." **coming in a dark foreboding tone within the deepest depths of his mind

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Well, Naruto's gonna have one more chapter in the future and then their back to the past.

Like I said, any suggestions people have feel free to leave them.


	9. Trip to the grocery store

Here we go again.

Oh yeah if anyone wants to have something of an advisory role for when I start the Naru/Star wars crossover then IM me at (L D 1 4 4 9 A O L . C O M)

Ps. It all goes together, no space in between I just did that so the sight wouldn't erase it for whatever reason.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Kagome dear, could you go down to the grocery store for me?" Called Kagome's mother from the kitchen.

"Sure mom." She replied as she stood up and began looking around for some shoes to wear.

"Naruto, would you mind going with her?" She called a few seconds later.

"Sure I'll go." He directly behind the younger girl making her jump so high she nearly touched the ceiling. She turned to him with a furious glare on her face. "STOP DOING THAT!!!"

Naruto smiled innocently. "Doing what?" His voice was sickeningly innocent and sweet and it only frustrated Kagome even more that she knew he was smiling beneath that god forsaken mask of his.

She ground her teeth together and was about to say something when Naruto vanished in a swirl of leaves. "HEY COME ON! IT'S GETTING LATE!"

She spun around and found Naruto already waiting on the steps of the shrine with that god forsaken smile of his. Her teeth were clenched so tightly in annoyance that she could have sworn one was gonna chip.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

As the two silently walked down the busy side walks of Tokyo Naruto was desperately refraining from taking to the rooftops.

There were too many people and far to many smells down on ground level.

"Are we almost there?" He asked with his usual laziness as he tried to hide his discomfort and his annoyance.

Kagome nodded. But then something caught her eye. "Hey what's this?"

Naruto followed her gaze to a large banner that said the words from god himself.

"A ramen eating contest." He said smiling. Kagome caught the strangely over gleeful expression on his face. But before she could say anything he began making his way over. "Hey wait a minute! Where are you going?"

"To sign up" He called over his shoulder making her jaw hit the floor.

"WAIT! WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU'RE GOING TO SIGN UP?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto held a bright smile on his face as he walked away with a full stomach and a lot of cash. He had won the contest obviously, as well as created a brand new world record for eating ramen. About 78 bowls, or was it 88? Bah he lost count.

Kagome walked beside him utterly infuriated. _'98 bowls 98 bowls and I didn't see his face ONCE!' _She mentally yelled.

Indeed Naruto had removed his face mask since the judges had to be sure he wasn't cheating somehow, but every time she looked the bottom half of his face was covered by the bowl he was eating.

Not only that but every time he moved to put the bowl down where she would be able to get a good look at his face someone would move in her way or someone else would yell making everyone turn their head. Or a car would screech by or a flock of birds would fly around and obscure her vision or she would blink or SOMETHING would happen to block her view.

And it was absolutely INFURIATING to see some stupid girls staring at Naruto with hearts for eyes as they left. Now the curiosity was practically killing her.

It was then that Kagome decided that she was going to get together with the Inu gang and she would find out whatever the hell was behind that GOD FORSAKEN MASK!

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The two slowly approached the supermarket Kagome turned around to face him when they were just outside the exit. "Listen Naruto, you will not, I repeat NOT going to do anything that will cause people to panic scream or just generally cause chaos while we're in here. Okay?"

Naruto smiled in a mock military manner. "Yes mam." He saluted.

Kagome sighed before they entered the supermarket.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kagome smiled happily as they left the supermarket. A full twenty minutes in there and not a single sound of any kind of chaos, not even shattering glass. She turned to Naruto who she now noticed was grinning from ear to ear. She narrowed her eyes at him.

Then.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

Kagome snapped her head around and saw everyone running out of the supermarket in a panic with dozens even hundreds of frogs leaping out behind them croaking and jumping everywhere.

She turned to Naruto with a glare that could have frozen hell over. "I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU…"

Not to cause any chaos while we were in the supermarket, but where not in the supermarket are we." He interrupted with his usual smile. Kagome would have sat him half way into hell if he was Inuyasha but sadly, he wasn't Inuyasha.

She sighed in resignation and exhaustion. "Let's just go home."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Mom we're home!" Kagome called as they entered the house. "And we brought the food." Naruto called behind her.

The elder Higurashi chuckled as she came in from the living room "That's good." She said simply as she took the bags from them. "Come now, I'm almost done with dinner."

The two teenagers nodded and began making their way into the house.

"Hi Souta" Kagome greeted as she passed him by.

"Hey sis." He greeted back absently with a wave as he had his eyes glued onto the TV and was munching on a cheese burger he had bought.

After several seconds he noticed that Naruto was standing behind him. He looked up and saw Naruto staring at him with a raised eyebrow. 'What?" He asked curiously.

Naruto pointed at his cheese burger. "What's that?"

Souta looked at his burger and held it out to him. "It's a cheese burger from Mcdonalds. Wanna bite?"

Naruto took the strange looking food and shrugged. He hooked a finger over his mask and before Souta knew what was going on he was blindfolded.

His vision cleared two seconds later and he found Naruto chewing on the bite he had taken of the burger experimentally. "Hmmm," He handed the burger back to the young boy.

Souta looked at him expectantly. "Well?"

"Well what?"

"Did you like it?"

Naruto smiled and oppened his mouth to answer when.

"Shinobi-san!" That was the old man's voice. "I have a question."

Naruto sighed. "No Mr. Higurashi I have not met Ieasu Tokugawa, or Tadakatsu Honda or Masamune Date, or Nobunaga Oda or Ujimasa Hojo or Shingen Takeda, or Kenshin Uesugi or any OTHER feudal lord you can come up with, or have come up with already."

Ever since the old man had arrived that morning via train and had discovered Naruto was a ninja 'from the feudal era' he had been asking any and all questions about anything and everything involving the political situation of ancient Japan.

He could faintly hear the old man grumble as the pitter patter of footsteps faded away down the hallway.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kagome sighed in contentment as she flopped down on her bed. "Ahhh, of all the things I leave behind when I go to the feudal era this and the hot shower are what I miss the most."

"Indeed." Naruto agreed from his position on the floor as he turned a page on a book of ancient history. "Pack up your things for when we leave tomorrow, we won't be returning for a while."

Kagome looked at him strangely. "What do you mean?" She asked cautiously.

Naruto closed his book and his face took an unusually serious expression. "I wasn't joking when I said I had something planned for you Kagome. And indeed I do, when we get back I will immediately begin your training."

"Training in what?" She asked with a little foreboding seeping into her voice.

Naruto stared at her dead in the eye. "After I'm through with you…you may very well become, the most powerful Miko this world has ever seen."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kagome sighed as she stared at the darkness of the well with her backpack slung over her shoulder.

"Ready?" Asked Naruto from his position next to her.

She took a deep breath and nodded. "Hey did you hear, someone stole all of the cheese burgers from eight different Mcdonalds last night."

"Really?" Naruto said averting his eyes. "No I didn't know that."

"Hmm, I wonder why they did it."

"Indeed" Naruto muttered before wrapping an arm around her waist and jumping down into the well, felling the warm magic envelop them once more.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Well, here ya go. I'm gonna have Naruto come back to the future again later on in the stories so if I haven't used your suggestions don't worry, there's still hope for it happening later on.

Also like I said if someone wants to have something of an advisor role for the Naru/Star wars crossover then IM me. Don't send private messages because I wont receive them because is messing up again.

Until next time


	10. Kagome's grief

Hello I'm baaaaaccckkkk."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Focus, Kagome. Visualize the power within yourself and call it fourth." Naruto said in his instructoring voice as he stood a few feet away from the girl who sat in a meditative position in the center of a rather large clearing.

They had been up here for about three weeks since the return from the modern era. Naruto barely gave Kagome time to even see anyone, since he knew that Inuyasha would probably try to give him a hard time if someone asked just how long this training would take.

Quite frankly Naruto wasn't sure just how long it would take. The entirety of the three weeks since he had started training her had been completely focused on summoning every last ounce of hidden power Kagome had within her.

He had to admit, it was indeed an impressive amount. If he had to place them in categories of Ninja, Kikyo would definitely be an elite Jounin, from what he had seen. From what little he had sensed from Midoriko she was probably the equivalent of two or three Kages.

In raw power, Kagome was already beginning to catch up. It was truly amazing in his opinion.

Every morning he would spend about an hour instructing her on basic hand to hand martial arts. To put it quite bluntly…

She sucked…She was physically weak, she had no sense of balance or foot work, her reflexes were just slightly above average for a normal civilian in a ninja community, she didn't even know a basic counter.

Basically he was starting from ground Zero in Taijutsu.

One good thing she did have though was excellent hand eye coordination. Her experiences with the bow had made it so that she could focus on multiple things at once. He could be attacking with a simple punch combo and then come in with a surprise kick yet she would always see it coming…

That didn't necessarily mean she managed to block or dodge though. Her eyes would catch it, but her body didn't react on time.

He was brought out of his musings as a surge of power came from the girl.

Her hair was matted against her forehead with sweat and her brow was knit together in hard concentration. Her breathing came out in short ragged pants and her entire body shook as pink wisps of Miko energy began surging forth.

Soon the pink aura was glowing and whipping around violently

'_Good, now, all she has to do is learn how to control it.' _He thought to himself. "Kagome! Stop now!" He called out to the girl.

But she couldn't hear him, powers long unknown to her surged through her, clouding her senses and the outside world from her. She gritted her teeth and felt her power rising from deep within her. It started at her stomach, but then rose and spread to every last part of her body. Her skin tingled and the hair at the back of her neck stood on end. Furious wind arrived from nowhere and seemed to form a whirlwind around her, making her black locks rise.

"KAGOME! YOU HAVE TO STOP NOW!" Naruto cried as he shielded himself of the harsh winds. "Damnit!" He cursed as he stepped forward, only to be shocked as his skin came into contact with her Miko energy.

He reeled in shock and stared at his hand in disbelief. Smoke rose and he could clearly feel the sting of a burn as well as the sensation of skin and tissue healing rapidly.

He narrowed his eyes. _'Kyuubi, I must still have remnants of his chakra in me. Her Miko powers will harm me if I get to close.' _He thought as he looked back up into the pillar of pink light. He could see the faint outline of Kagomes form in the center.

He took a deep breath and felt the chakra surging to his feet before he rushed forward as fast as he could.

Kagome, suddenly felt a hand hit her chest, just beneath her neck and in seconds all of her power returned to her, making her feel like someone had punched her in the gut, hard. She hunched forward and coughed as she gasped for breath, so she could get air back into her lungs.

As her coughing ceased she looked up and found Naruto was also breathing hard and his entire body had smoke rising out of it. "I think…we need a different plan." He muttered as he pulled back and sat down with a thump.

Kagome stared at him for a few moments in silent shock. He looked exhausted. "What the hell happened?"

Naruto blinked at her and then looked around the clearing and gestured for her to do the same.

Kagome looked around and found that everywhere she looked she could see the soft glow of Miko power._ Her_ power.

She turned her attention back to Naruto when she heard his voice. "It's just as I thought. All the power in the world, but no control."

She raised a curious eyebrow. "What do you mean and why are we studying control, I don't really understand why its so important."

Naruto thought for a moment before he spoke next. "Controll is the most important part of your Miko powers, without it, its just wasted energy."

She nodded but still didn't look too convinced Naruto sighed. "I think a demonstration will work better for you."

He stood and began walking towards a tree. "Hey wait, are you saying you have Miko powers too?"

Naruto chuckled. "Not exactly." He said without facing her. He extended his hand and immediately an imperfect rasengan formed. Kagome stared at the swirling energy in disbelief.

Naruto then rushed at a nearby tree and slammed the Rasengan right into its bark. The wood groaned and the chakra acted like a wild blender, shredding and tearing away. When his attack was done deep gashes and lacerations bit into the bark in a spiral formation about five inches deep.

"Tha-that's amazing!" Kagome said with awe as she approached the tree.

"That was the imperfect version of the attack. All the power, with none of the control." He replied as he pointed to the tree. "Now then." He spoke as he raised his hand and formed another Rasengan, a perfect one this time. "Now observe what power can do when its combined with control."

He rushed forward and slammed the Rasengan into a different tree and Kagome watched in astonishment as the tree gave about three seconds of resistance before it exploded and was grinded into tiny bits of sawdust. As the top half fell and crashed into the ground Kagome could only stare in awe.

Naruto turned to her again. "Now do you see? Perfect control combined with power can lead you to greater heights than just power with no control or control with no power."

Kagome nodded with a serious expression but then it turned into a smile. "Do you think you could teach me how to do that one day?"

Naruto chuckled. "No I don't think so Kagome." He then turned back to the wilderness. 'Start the camp fire; I'll be back in a little while with the food." He ordered before leaping away.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Inuyasha grumbled as he sat inside of Kaede's Hut. "Why the hell did he take Kagome to train. We should be looking for jewel shards, not waiting on those two."

"Oh can it Inuyasha, we've all gotten much stronger since Naruto gave us our different training regiments." Sango said from her position on the ground in front of the fire.

"Indeed, the incantations he has given me are amazing, just yesterday I came across a low level Oni and I merely placed one of these on its head." He showed them a piece of paper with a few Kanji on it. "And immediately the creature's strength was sapped right out of it."

"Yeah!" Shippou chimed in. "And look at what I learned!" The small Kitsune leapt up and kicked Inuyasha in the nose, making the Hanyou growl in anger and annoyance.

"Why you little!" The hanyou made a blind grab for the Kit expecting to grab him just like every other time but to his surprise the little Kitsune jumped over his hand with a spin and landed. Before Inuyasha could think the little Kit jumped and kicked him again, this time using Inuyasha's face as a platform to leap to the wall and then catapulted across the room, landing on Sango's lap with a wide smile on his face.

'Feh," The hanyou grunted, "So you can jump big deal!"

Shippou smiled still. But Inuyasha just think what if I would have had a stick, or better yet a knife."

That stopped the Hanyou. Indeed no self respecting demon would even consider the little guy a threat, leaving Shippou with the ability to take them completely by surprise and with that kind of agility he could cause some serious damage before they could get their defenses up properly.

Still, he'd probably kiss Sesshomaru before he admitted it. "Feh, still useless." He grumbled, though everyone noticed it was rather half hearted. He then turned and began staring off into space again. "How do you think he makes those…uh…copies?"

The group looked at eachother and together they gave a shrug and a sound that sounded like 'I dun kno'

"Certainly is useful though." Shippou said.

"Yeah." Sango agreed as she thought up how efficient it would be for battles and labor."

"Indeed." Miroku also agreed with a dreamy expression on his face. _'Think of all of the women he could…' _His thoughts were abruptly cut off as Sango noticed the turn his thoughts had taken and promptly broke his neck with the Hiraikotsu.

'_Feh, idiot.'_

'_PERVERT'_

'_all…at…the…same…time…'_

'_Adults are weird'_

'_Mew?'_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kagome and Naruto sat around their camp fire as the food cooked. Kagome had herself wrapped in a thick blanket to keep herself warm from the cold night air and Naruto sat beside her.

Kagome looked up and for a moment she could have sworn she saw one of Kikyo's sowl collectors (Genjutsu). Her heart leapt to her throat, before she noticed it was a trick of the light and she gave a sigh of relief. Yet the increasing feeling of sadness gnawed at her.

She decided to take her mind off of Kikyo by doing what she always does. She felt the tears beginning to form in the back of her eyes. Even now with Kikyo presumed dead, she still felt as if she was in her shadow.

Allways in her shadow.

She could never really be sure if Inuyasha truly saw her when he looked at her or just the rebound girl since he couldn't get Kikyo.

A mere replacement.

She knew that she may very well start sobbing soon and she didn't want to trouble Naruto with her problems.

"I think I'm gonna go for a walk." She muttered as she stood up and smiled at him with the same smile that always fooled all of her friends.

Naruto turned to her with a single emotionless eye. 'Don't do that." He declared.

Kagome blinked at him curiously. "Don't do what? Go for a walk?"

Naruto continued to stare at her, his single blue eye, which currently seemed as cold as a glacier of the coldest ice bore into hers. "Don't even try to hide behind that mask Kagome, I can see right through you."

Kagome faltered for a moment as he stood and turned to face her fully. He walked forward and looked down into her brown orbs that stared at him with curiosity, apprehension and even a little fear.

He stared for a few more seconds before he took a breath and began. "Your soul is clouded by sadness and hurt Kagome, I can sense it…I can see it."

She took a step back and averted her eyes. "I…I don't know what your talking about?" She said with even less conviction than what she had within.

"Yes, you do Kagome and its best you admit it, and face it. Before that sadness and hurt turn to anger." He said in the same monotone drawl.

His voice was hammering at her defenses, already the sight of one of Kikyo's familiar soul collectors reopened old wounds which had just begun to heal and now he was confronting her about things that she had kept to herself.

Naruto continued as she stayed quiet. 'You are sad because of Inuyasha's love for Kikyo, you are hurt and betrayed, because of all the times he left you to go see her. The expressions of happiness and contentment his face held when he held her again in his arms as he did when they lived before Naraku. And you are insecure, because you fear he only sees her, only has eyes for her, only has love for her. Even when his eyes lay upon you."

Kagome sobbed and slowly sank to her knee's holding her face in her hands and shook her head. "Stop…please stop." She whimpered as sobs wracked her body.

Naruto's eyes softened for a brief moment before they once again became cold. This had to be done.

He knelt down so he could be at eye level with her. "You want him to love you, you want him to have eyes, only for you and you want him to forever place her in his past. You want to be his one and only love." He slowly moved in and whispered in her ear. "Somewhere…deep…deep within you Kagome, is a part of you that was somewhat glad, when you heard Naraku killed Kikyo on Mnt.Hakurei."

Kagome's eyes snapped open and she roughly pushed away from him. "That's not true!" She nearly yelled at him as she backed away, until her back was pressed against a tree.

Naruto reappeared infront of her with his cold blues narrowed. "Yes it is!" He hissed. "You know it is and you hate yourself for it. When you heard that you felt that Inuyasha might finally be able to move on now that she was dead again. You felt that he may finally look upon you with those eyes that he had when he gazed on her.

Kagome shut her eyes tightly and try as she may the tears still leaked out. "Why? Why does he still love her? She's tried to kill him, she says she hates him and yet he still…he still…"

"Loves her." Naruto finished for her. He slowly hooked a finger under her chin and lifted her gaze to meet his. He was smiling softly at her. "It's okay to feel pain, its okay, to feel, hurt, betrayal, rage, jealousy, all of those things Kagome. You are not a saint, and no one is asking you to be. So do not hide behind a mask, because one day, the mask will break and with it, so will you."

She sobbed and felt Naruto hug her in a comforting embrace. "Why doesn't he love me like he loves her?" She sobbed into his chest. Naruto felt his shirt dampen and slowly stroked her hair. "He does." The blond said simply.

"But…" She began but was cut off.

'He loves you both equally but for entirely different reasons."

"I don't understand."

Naruto took a moment before he began. "Inuyasha loves you both, unconditionally; he will always love the both of you no matter what happens. He loves you because, you have always been there for him, always supported him, always helped him, always believed in him, always encouraged him. You were in reality, his first friend and then that feeling evolved into love. He would jump into the pits of hell for you if it would make you happy."

He paused. "And he loves Kikyo, because…She was the first. Where you became his first friend, Kikyo was the one who showed him that indeed he could love, he could _be_ loved and that it was possible for him to be happy. She was the first to show him acceptance. Without her, he may have become just like his brother, Sesshomaru, cold and emotionless."

Kagome shivered at the thought.

After several seconds she looked back up at his face. "How? How do you know so much about us?"

Naruto smiled and Kagome felt her vision go dark.

Naruto carried her bridal stile all the way back to camp.

'_Because in a way, I have suffered the same fate.'_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Well, here ya go, I hope I made this conversation between Kagome and Naruto believable. Please tell me if you liked it or not

For those of you who don't understand why he did this, it was because this is the way he is helping Kagome. She always bottles everything up and eventually she's gonna snap when it becomes to much, kinda like Naruto himself. So since he knows more or less what she's going through he's helping her through it.

Oh and just wait till I get to Kikyo…hehehehehehehehe


	11. Back on the road

Here's a new chapter that I hope you all enjoy.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto smiled as he stared at Kagome. Four months. Four months they had been training up here on this hill. She had grown in all areas. She wasn't an bexpert, far from it infact. But she had grown. Her control was now a little beneath what he had seen from Kikyo and far below from what he had seen from Midoriko but compared to what she had before, she had improved exponentially.

He had continued to make clones and sent them to Inuyasha and co. back at Kaede's village n order to continue his instruction with them.

But that was not the extraordinary part nooo, the extraordinary part was the sheer amount of power she held. If he had to guess, she was just beneath Midoriko, given a few more years and she may very well surpass her, just like the great Miko had said.

"Good. You've gotten much stronger since we first arrived."

Kagome smiled and blushed at the slight praise. "So ummm, what's next?"

Naruto shook his head. "Nothing. I have already taught you everything you need to know, you just have to build on it and refine it on your own."

Kagome blinked and stared. "So you mean, were done?"

Naruto nodded.

It took a few moments for Kagome's mind to catch up with what was said but when it did she gave an ear piercing squeal of delight and jumped up once clapping her hands. Before Naruto could say anything he felt himself being embraced in a spine snapping hug.

"THANKYOU, THANKYOU,THANKYOU,THANKYOU,THANKYOU!!!!!!!!!" She squealed, making his ears ring.

He chuckled slightly and gently pried himself free. "Well now, I think a reunion is in order, isn't it?"

She nodded with a smile on her face and immediately went to go pack up her belongings. Ever since their 'conversation' she seemed more at peace with herself. It was a subtle thing, but for one who had known her it was clear as day, she flowed with a strange feeling of contentment and glowed with a new happiness that simply wasn't there before.

He smiled at her form. He was able to heal or at least treat the wounds of her heart and now, all he could do, was watch and wait for the situation to play out.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"KAGOME!" Came Shippou's cheerful reply as he ran forward and lunged into the girls arms. His new speed and leg strength giving him enough power to nearly knock her over. Infact, if it wasn't for the hand to hand training she had done with Naruto over her four month period she was pretty sure he would have.

"Hey Shippou, you've gotten stronger there." She remarked as she held him up and smiled down at him.

The little Kitsune beamed at the praise, no mater how small it was. "Yup, Naruto's been helping me train my speed."

Kagome, blinked. "How? He's been training me all four months."

Naruto made a shadow clone and shook his hand with a smile on his face. 'Hello me" He greeted and dispelled the clone.

Kagome stared. "Oh, I forgot about those."

He smiled and ruffled the young Kitsune's hair. "Shippou, I have a gift for you."

The little Kit looked up with wide eyes at Naruto from his perch in Kagome's arms "You, brought me something?" He asked with what appeared to be astonishment.

Naruto nodded and reached behind his back and pulled out a large dagger, that for someone of Shippous size would be considered a decent sized sword. The sheath and hilt were an identical blood red and were embroidened with a golden fox. It had been one of the few gifts he had received during his life. This one, he had gotten from Tenten, on his sixteenth birthday, just one year before they were all killed.

Shippou took the blade with shaking hands and held it firmly. "Th-thank you."

"It's beautiful." Kagome breathed as she stared at it. She looked back up at Naruto who seemed to have a faraway look in his eyes. "Where did you get it?"

"A friend gave it to me." He said shrugging off the sad thoughts. Kagome and Shippou could have sworn that he had looked eighty for a brief moment but it was gone so quick they just chalked it up to a mere trick of the light.

"Kagome-chan!" All three turned to Sango as she ran up and hugged Kagome. If it wasn't for Shippou's reflexes and new jumping ability, he would have been crushed between the two women. But, he merely jumped, back-flipped and landed on Kagome's shoulder, his new dagger firmly in hand.

"Its so good to see you again!" Sango cried as she hugged Kagome tighter.

Kagome returned the gesture with a bright smile on her face. "You've made sure Miroku's kept in check while I've been gone right?" She asked with a giggle.

"Lady Kagome you wound me." The voice of said monk declared in mock hurt making Kagome giggle. "It's nice to see you Miroku" Kagome said as she hugged the monk, though she made sure his hands were a safe distance away from her rear.

They smiled at eachother as they pulled away.

"Feh, nice of you to finally decide to come back."

The gruff voice, red clothes, crossed arms and half hearted scowl. Yup, that was indeed Inuyasha.

Ignoring his gruff tone Kagome smiled at him. It was a smile that left the brash Hanyou stunned. This smile had something he had never seen before, her smiles were always beautiful, but now, it seemed almost radiant.

He was spared from his awkward moment by Naruto who decided to speak up. "Well now. I'm proud to say, you've all passed Naruto's boot camp, with flying colors and so, I've decided to give you all some gifts."

He then tossed everyone except for Shippou and Kagome some wrapped packages.

They each caught theirs and began to unwrap them.

Sango oppened hers to reveal an entire set of Kunai and Shuriken, with special ninja wire as well, Miroku opened his to a strange glove or gauntlet of sorts and Inuyasha got two arm bracers, blood red, with hints of gold carved into it..

They each stared at their new gifts curiously. Naruto cleared his throat and began. 'Sango, those Kunai, knives I gave you were forged from pure obsidian, a volcanic stone that is sharper than any ordinary Katana. Miroku, the glove has a small ink cartridge in the thumb. Meaning that you can make the seals on the spot, without having to worry about ink and brushes getting everywhere. Just make sure to refill it every few times okay?"

Kagome furrowed her brows. _'An ink cartridge? But those weren't invented until the typing machine came in and even those were larger than that' _She stared at the blonds back. _'Just who or what are you Naruto?'_

Inuyasha looked at his arm bracers strangely. Naruto decided to elaborate. "Their made from a special metal, almost unbreakable by any conventional weapon you can use them to block and to basically hit someone with enough force to break their neck. Also, if you gain enough skill you can block your opponents swing and then get them off balance as you use your free hand to swing the sword."

Inuyasha smiled as he clamped the metallic bracers onto his forearms. They matched with the fire rat robe almost perfectly.

Naruto looked at the members of the group with a small smile on his face. "Well now…I believe we have a jewel to complete.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naraku snarled angrily as he paced within the walls of his hidden fortress. That human, that Naruto was becoming a nuisance. No…not a nuisance…a threat.

The skills of the monk and slayer were of no consequence, a few new tricks would do nothing to him except cause perhaps the occasional nuisance but they were still barely worth his time.

He had been spying on them the entire time, their skills increasing by leaps and bounds. Before he could always count on Inuyasha's brash and foolish style of charging in head first without a plan to give him the advantage. But not anymore, the Hanyou had learned the meaning of the word patience in a fight and the value of a plan.

Of course, this in itself did not concern him since he could always kidnap Kagome and the Hanyou would throw all caution and reasoning out the window but now…now she was powerful. She may even have the power to defeat him.

And not only that, but he knew nothing of the ninja himself. One thing Naraku always prided himself over was the knowledge of his enemies.

Inuyasha's weaknesses were Kikyo and Kagome.

Kagome's weaknesses was; Inuyasha and the love of her friends.

Sango's weakness was her love for Kohaku, the young boy that he had as a servant. (I'm unsure as to weather or not Kohaku was still in Naraku's service after the Mnt.Hakurei adventure, if he wasn't then…well…its called fanfiction for a reason.)

The monk's weakness was his feelings for the slayer and the fear he had of his wind tunnel.

Even the great Sesshomaru had a weakness. His feelings for the human girl. Rin.

But this…ninja…this…Uzumaki Naruto, revealed nothing. He was nothing. No past, no family, not even a reason to help this group.

Yet he was powerful. Powerful enough to possibly pose a threat to Naraku's now perfect form. Indeed, he was no fool anyone with eyes could tell he had been holding back a great deal of his power.

Kagura watched her master pace back and forth as she tried to hide her growing amusement. She enjoyed watching him squirm. The bastard deserved far worse. In all reality she wished she could simply send her dance of blades and slice him up herself, but she knew she wasn't strong enough for that. No she merely had to wait and hope she survived long enough for someone else to destroy him.

Naraku turned and saw Kagura's slightly amused expression. His anger and hate grew. Laugh at him will she?

Kagura gasped in pain as the part of her chest, where her heart should be suddenly felt as if it was being crushed. She clutched it and gave a painful groan as she bent forward and fell to her knees. She gritted her teeth as she refused to cry out. She wouldn't give that sick bastard the satisfaction of hearing her in pain.

Her shoulders shook and with tremendous effort she hauled herself up and stood on shaky legs.

Naraku's eyes shown with the fury of a thousand hells as his clawed hand shot forward and latched itself onto her throat tightly. Kagura grabbed onto his wrist in a futile attempt to loosen his grip.

Naraku, bared his fangs and brought her face close to his. "Well Kagura, since you seem to find this situation amusing how about you take those low level fodder out and fight." He threw her with a dismissal toss clear across the room, making her crash into the wall hard. "And you are not to return unless the Hanyou Miko or that Ninja are dead. I don't care which, should you fail, know that I will kill you."

She painfully stood and swallowed her pride as she bowed. 'Yes, Naraku."

She slowly turned and walked away with what little dignity she had left.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Well here ya go, mainly a filler, but please read and review.


	12. Interlude near the western lands

Here ya go.

Also, classes are starting over here so updates will be less frequent.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kagura soared high above the clouds, with a legion of yokai, behind her. Her plan was simple She would take a smaller group and attack from the front while the larger group circled around and attacked them from the rear either way, this battle could only have one of two outcomes.

One she would manage to kill, either Inuyasha, Kagome or the Ninja, thus postponing her fate. The chances were slim at best against all three of them now.

And the last, was that the fate that had long been at her heels and had been from the moment she was born would finally catch up with her.

No Kagura did not disillusion herself. The cold hard truth was this. No mater what she did today, she would die. She may succeed in killing one of the three but that would merely delay the inevitable. The three of them were necessary in order to defeat Naraku. The Miko especially, but, in reality, she and Inuyasha were the only one's she would try to defeat.

That human…no, that creature that now traveled with them was to powerful for her. He had defeated her last time without even breaking a sweat. No, that one was way out of her league.

She had to face facts. Today, was the day that marked her death.

A slow silent tear was blown away in the harsh winds above the clouds.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Taiyokai of the west, Sesshomaru Taicho son of Inu no Taicho was currently patrolling the far eastern borders of his lands. His faithful servant Jaken, his ward Rin, and his dragon steed Ah-Un following closely behind him, when the lord suddenly stopped and turned his head facing north east.

His eyes narrowed, as his sharp eyes caught two large 'clouds' of low level yokai, one significantly larger than the other and both moving in what would be a pincer maneuver on a ground based battlefield. The slight tinge of Naraku's scent came to him and he let out a low growl of anger.

How dare that disgusting parasite dare to even encroach on his lands?

He turned his head back to Jaken and Rin, who was happily humming a tune. "Remain here." He stated.

Jaken was about to speak when just like the wind Sesshomaru was gone in a streak of white.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto and the Inu-gang all walked down the dirt path, northbound. It had been so for almost a week. They would get up, break camp, walk for most of the day, make camp at sundown, sleep and then do the same thing the next day.

And Naruto was getting sick and tired of it.

Sure on the outside he held up his lazy, carefree mask, but on the inside he was like a group of elephants high on steroids and testosterone. Definitely needed to burn some energy.

He was actually willing to put them on some training for Ninja style travel, but then decided against it. That would take months.

He watched as Inuyasha walked infront of the group, with the rest of the group behind him chatting animatedly.

"Kagome-chan, come on! Just give us a small hint at least!" That was Sango's voice. Kagome however had a coy smile on her face and merely shook her head. "Uh-uh, its for me to know and for you to find out."

Miroku spoke up next. "Lady Kagome, while normally I would allow you to keep your secrets until you are ready to reveal them, this time, I must insist that you at least provide some insight as to what training you had taken with Naruto-san."

"Yeah, come on Kagome, just one hint." Shippou said from his perch on her shoulder.

Kagome struggled to keep her smile from splitting her face in two. "Seeeeeeecccccccrrrrrrrreeeeeetttttttttt" She said as she put one finger to her lips.

And began walking ahead of the two whilst Shippou still remained on her shoulder.

Naruto smirked and slowly turned his head to the sky. "It appears they will find out sooner than they think."

He then felt a light tap and weight on his shoulder. Kirara. He slowly turned his head to the small fire cat and smiled. "You sensed them too don't you? Well, how about we deal with the main group and leave the fodder to them?" He asked as he scratched under her chin.

Kirara purred and nodded in agreement.

Naruto smiled and the two discreetly began to fall behind.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Inuyasha stopped suddenly and leapt back as several blades of wind shot straight down from the sky above.

He snarled and unsheathed Tetsusaiga as hundreds of Yokai swarmed down from the heavens, darkening the sky, their snarls and growls creating a crude orchestra of rolling thunder and fury.

Kagura leapt down from her feather with her fan open and her hand ready to swing.

Inuyasha raised the sword and once again visualized the wind around himself and his opponent. "Wind scar!" He yelled as he went to cut through it. But to his slight shock, the wind twisted itself around his blade, making his swing nothing but a waste of energy.

"Wha" He then noticed that the wind was being redirected to Kagura. He snorted, "Feh, figures" He settled himself into a defensive stance and waited.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sesshomaru, who had been watching from his Yokai cloud from high above raised an eyebrow in unabashed surprise. The hanyou's stance……had few flaws. It wasn't perfect but in comparison to what he was, well…this is godlike.

But where did he learn it?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"HIRAIKOTSU!" Sango yelled as she hurled the massive boomerang with the force of a freight train, cutting down dozens of low level yokai, like a knife through rice paper.

As the weapon flew she reached back and took out several kunai and shuriken in each hand and with a wide swing the projectiles flew through the air cutting down even more Yokai.

Miroku placed several Sutra, in combination with some of Naruto's ninjutsu seals onto the ring of his staff and onto the shaft and blunt end. If his research was correct, then the seals on the shaft would strengthen the wood so that it would not break, something that allowed him to take just a few more risks in the fight.

And the seals on the bladed end would increase his sutra's powers, making it so that he may be able to purify some of them.

He sighed. Oh well, now's as good a time as any to test it out.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kagome stilled her breathing and focused on her powers. She took an arrow and notched it into her bow. She pulled the string taught and with a bright pink glow she let it fly, bathing the area infront of her in a pinkish aura, purifying six to eight of the small yokai in that one single shot.

She went to notch another arrow when a worm Yokai came at her from her right side. She suffered a momentary panic when Naruto's words came back to her. _'Focus, block everything else out, the world around you does not exist. Concentrate on your power and draw it forth.'_

With a quick breath she concentrated and a barroer formed from the groud up, purifying the worm Yokai instantly. She pulled back an arrow and fired it again. Leaving a stream of pink.

She went to notch another arrow when a thought occurred to her. _'Shippou isn't on my shoulder!'_

She immediately formed a complete barrier around herself and began looking for the small kitsune as more foolish yokai harmed themselves as they hit her barrier.

It didn't take long to find him, but when she did, she felt her jaw fall to the floor in surprise.

Shippou was running around like a three year old with supper speed on sugar high while using the small dagger to swipe and hit any yokai that came in reach, though most hits weren't fatal they did weaken them.

She watched in silent fascination as the little kitsune jumped up and down, swerved left and right, rolled back and forth and did everything humanly possible to avoid the angry yokai's jaws as they continually tried to bite him and even managed to slash and even kill a few of them.

She was brought out of her stupor as another yokai hit her barrier. She dropped the barrier and notched an arrow in her bow and let loose again.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"DAMNIT WHERE THE HELL IS THAT BASTARD? DID HE DITCH US?" Inuyasha yelled as he smoothly side stepped a yokai and swung the Tetsusaiga, slicing the creature.

He then turned around and grabbed another by the neck. Then with one fluid motion he pulled the snake demon in, and used its body as a shield to take a fireball from another demon.

"JUST SHUT UP AND KEEP SWINGING!" Sango yelled as she took out her sword and cut another demon.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sesshomaru watched his half brother the miko, the slayer and the monk fight with new techniques and ability. What had happened? They were barely worthy to be considered above cannon fodder before. How was it that the monk could now purify demons where as before he could not. What were the strange weapons the slayer now wielded, how could his brother now successfully defend himself with a proper stance from a horde of yokai whereas before he would probably be bleeding so much the blood loss would have affected his vision by now.

Sesshomaru frowned. It made no sense, only with training, good, proper training could they have grown so much since their last encounter.

For one such as himself, one who lived with the ambition to become the most powerful demon in existence or to ever have existed this was a shocking and infuriating development.

He snorted but then noticed something. The fire cat. The one that traveled with the slayer. She was not present, but her scent was near.

He turned around just as the second yokai swarm broke through the cloud directly behind the group. He snarled. Inuyasha was his to kill. Just as he prepared to go and intercept the horde he saw the fire cat break the tree line, heading straight for the swarm. And there was a human?

No, not human. Not demon either. This being radiated power that may just rival his own. The demon lord narrowed his eyes at this new development.

Naruto stood on Kirara's back, his hands rapidly forming seals. "Fly right into them Kirara!" He barked. The cat demon gave one of her howls before complying.

"_O-ushi, Saru, Usagi, Nezumi, O-hitsuji-"_

_Kirara swirved and weaved through the horde as Naruto stuck to her with his chakra_

"_Tori, O-ushi, Uma, Tori, Tora, Inu, Tora, Hebi,"_

_Sesshomaru watched with his demonio senses as the very air seemed to compress around him, forming into a bubble of sorts._

"_O-ushi, O-hitsuji, Hebi, Ousu-buta, O-hitsuji, O-ushi, Saru, Tori"_

_The yokai saw their prey, their glowing red eyes following his every movement with hunger. This was their prize._

_Ryu, O-ushi, Uma, O-hitsuji, Tora, Hebi, Nezumi, Saru, Usagi, _

_The battle with the Inu group seemed to pause as they each felt the gathering of power. They each turned slightly and found a massive swarm of yokai circling a single person._

"_Ousu-buta, Ryu, O-ushi, Nezumi, Saru, _

_Kagura fell to her knee's as the wind, the very air itself seemed to be sucked into that source of power, like a dark black hole. She felt weak, vulnerable, defenseless. _

"_Tori, Nezumi, Ousu-buta-"_

_A pause._

"_**TORI!"**_

Everything fell silent for a moment before.

**CHOOOMB!**

It was like a vacuum the demons were all sucked into a swirling vortex, shredding them to pieces before it all exploded outwards in a great shockwave that shook the earth with its raw power, disintegrating any remains. Not even blood remained.

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at the display. _'Indeed. A worthy opponent.'_

As the dust cleared Naruto could be seen kneeling on Kirara's back. His formed slumped and panting. "It's been so long…perhaps I should have taken it easy eh Kirara?" He chuckled before stumbling slightly. Kirara growled slightly as she wrapped one of her tails around him to secure him.

Naruto chuckled. "I assume we've won."

Kagura slowly raised herself up to her feet and fought off the feeling of dizziness. She looked at the smiling ninja sitting atop Kirara's back and felt rage well up within her. It was all his fault. If he hadn't shown up then none of this would have happened.

It was his fault that she was going to die.

Well, if so, she would rather it be from anyone in this group than from Naraku, and she might just take him with her.

Sesshomaru turned to leave. He would not fight this…creature now an attack of that magnitude no doubt had fatigued him slightly and when they fought, he wanted it to be an honorable one.

Before he turned however he barely caught something in his vision. He darted his eyes and barely managed to catch the blur that whizzed by.

He turned around and found that the blur, was Kagura, he could see wind litteraly propelling her forward at incredible speeds. He narrowed his eyes in contemplation. Strange, she never showed such desperation before.

Naruto barely had time to react before something fast crashed right onto his side , knocking the wind right out of him and sending him clear off of Kirara.

Kagura smirked. It worked. That speed technique was a gamble, she moved so fast she couldn't see where she was going, it was a complete shot in the dark and left her exhausted after just a few seconds of use. But still, that wouldn't matter. She would die either way and now that he couldn't dodge since he was in mid air.

She took out her fan.

Naruto regained his bearings and looked up in time to see Kagura swing her fan and let her wind blades fly. No time to use Kamaikatchi and no time to even use Kawarimi, too far from the ground.

"**NO!" **They both heard just as Sango's Hiraikotsu passed infront of Naruto and took the wind blades for him.

Kagura snarled and moved to swing again when a bright pink light came from her right. Her eyes widened in fear as she turned and saw Kagome's arrow, loaded with so much Miko energy she couldn't even see past it came straight at her.

She barely had time to scream before the energy consumed her.

Naruto blinked. "Well that's unexpected." He muttered as Kirara swooped down and caught him.

He landed on the ground and faced the Inu group with a smile. "Well, then, I suppose I should thank you." He muttered.

Inuyasha growled "Hey what's the big idea of leaving us all alone here."

Naruto blinked. "Well I never left you. I was there (points at the forest behind him) with Kirara waiting for the second group."

"If you knew that they were coming, why didn't you warn us?"

Naruto smiled. "Should I have? I am uncertain, could you have truly ignored the threat if you knew, could you allow the enemy to strike you where you are weakest in hopes of catching them off guard and dealing the death blow. I think not, if I would have warned you then you would have been looking over your shoulder the entire fight given away my position and the trap would have been useless." The masked blond spoke simply.

Miroku spoke next. "That may be so, but not warning us and you failing would have led to each of our deaths."

Sango nodded. "Yes, we trust you Naruto, but I ask that you do not betray that trust with another stunt like this again.

Naruto nodded. "Dually noted. I'm sorry then."

Kagome eyed him, as if she was trying to figure something out. "There's another reason isn't there?"

Naruto shrugged. "Think what you want. I told you my reasons already."

Kagome studied him for a moment. "You wanted to fight them all alone didn't you?"

Naruto stopped and stared at her as he slowly raised an eyebrow.

"Why?" She asked simply.

Naruto stared at her for several moments before shrugging. "Think what you want."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I'll leave you with this for now.


	13. A broken wind

Well here I am.

Also, to the one or two guy's that keep anoying me, saying that the story is lagging on and on or that my 'filler' arc is starting to annoy them well here's a little insight.

The ENTIRE Inuyasha series is just basically pointless adventures that have almost nothing to do with the main plot, with Naraku, Sesshomaru or some other villan showing up inbetween. SO GET OFF MY BACK! I'm not going to make the same mistake as most authors that they literally fly through a story to head straight for the fight scene. If you dont like that then there's a little arrow up at the top that says 'back' up at the top. Use it to go find something else to read.

Anyway, now that that's done lets get on with the story

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Jewel never ceased to mesmerize him. The beautiful deadly colors that sang from it---the deep magenta of sunset, the bright fuchsia of anger, the pink of a spring blossom--- they all enthralled him.

The facets sparkled deep within the nearly- completed Shikon with their own light. THIS was the key to ultimate power, and rarely did it take such a beautiful form. The dark lord could stare at the Jewel for hours, idly dreaming of its vast, untapped potential.

The dark hanyou was startled from his enjoyable contemplation by a purple-black miasma that erupted in the center of his shadowed room. Red eyes narrowing angrily, he waited as the swirl of purple-pierced blackness condensed and fell away, revealing the broken, naked woman that lay huddled on the tatami matted floor.

The female youkai was curled into a fetal position, gasps of pain shuddering through the cringing form. Long tangles of wavy black hair barely covered pasty white skin. Singed and burned raw in various places, none of the recent wounds could match the distinctive spider mark burned into her back.

Normally sharp claws were torn off at the tips, and she bled sullenly in places where she had been lacerated. The limp awkwardness of some of her extremities showed that her delicate bones had been fractured in many spots.

"Kagura."

The voice sent a deep shudder through the woman. A single tear slipped out of one tightly closed eye as she tried to curl away from that awful voice.

The dark lord smiled at the wind youkai's terror. Terror was an aphrodisiac to the dark hanyou. He relished it like a fine wine---studying the dark layers of pain with an eye to its beauty, smelling the delicate aroma of aroused fear, tasting the delicious fright in all its pain and helplessness. Terror was erotic.

He wondered idly if he should take the female youkai here and now. Her broken body, so helpless to move, might prove more entertaining than the times he had commanded her to lie with him, her angry defiance controlled by the clutch of her heart in his hand. Her pain and terror as he took her now, helpless and broken, might alleviate some of his anger at her failure.

But no. Sexual gratification could be gotten anywhere. Any pitiful peasant girl, brought to the heights of terror by judicious use of pain and threat, could assuage his dark lust. Lying with the broken youkai would be like lying with the dead. And there was only one corpse he would ever consider taking to his bed, and she, in her cold contempt, was still---as yet---unattainable.

Long moments of silence stretched on, as the dark hanyou studied the broken youkai cowering on the tatami mats. Finally, the terrified woman could stand it no more, and opened frightened red eyes to stare at the shadowed form of her Master.

The hanyou Naraku was deadly, but mesmerizing. His beauty was dark and threatening. Thick black hair tumbled in sensuous curls down his back and a well-muscled chest was revealed by the casual openness of his purple robes.

The white fur of a baboon's skin draped his lower body like the swirl of a frothy wave. Narrow red eyes regarded the woman coldly.

"You have failed me. Again."

The eyes closed tightly, another tear following the track of the first down her pale cheek.

"You are useless to me now. You have lost your control on the winds." The dark lord flicked a hand at the wind youkai's empty, burnt fingers. The purifying wave that had attacked the Wind Sorceress had split her fan in two.

Kagura flinched in remembered pain. When the fan broke, she had felt as is she herself was splitting apart. The fan had been as much of her incarnation as she herself had been. Without it, she was powerless.

"I should kill you." The hanyou looked at the nearly-completed Shikon no Tama that he clutched in one hand. The woman shuddered, unable to speak as fear clutched her soul.

A nasty smile curved the sensuous lips. "No..." The dark lord said thoughtfully. "That would be too easy."

A slight whimper from the broken youkai made Naraku laugh softly, a sensual sound that sent chills down the woman's back as she lay defenseless before him.

"Naraku..." She whispered, the pitiful plea an opiate to the dark lord. He stood up, allowing the white furs to slither down and pool on the floor beneath him. Idly turning the Jewel in one hand, he studied the broken woman for long moments, contemplating the perfect punishment for her ineptitude.

Time and again, he had given the Wind Sorceress chances to dispose of the worthless dog hanyou and his ningen allies, and time and again she had failed.

Naraku lifted his other hand, and a red glow suffused the palm. He could not resist squeezing the heart of his incarnation, relishing the feel of his power over the youkai. The woman screamed, a faint wisp of sound, as pain coursed through her broken, burnt body.

The hanyou laughed, his eyes brightening with lust at the pain. "What if I was to return your heart to you, Kagura?" He asked casually, stepping closer to the white body. Kneeling beside the broken sorceress, he waved the glowing essence of her heart above her, taunting.

The youkai opened her eyes, tears sparkling like jeweled diamonds in the ruby depths.

"Beautiful..." Naraku breathed in the smell of her fear.

"Please..." The woman shuddered in pitiful terror.

"Do you know what you are asking for, Kagura?" The voice wrapped itself around her. Smirking, the dark lord opened his palm, allowing the red essence of the woman's heart to spill gently around the wind youkai.

The pulsing red mist fell slowly toward the broken body, and then sunk into the white skin, vanishing as it touched the youkai. For a moment, the form was still, and then the faint throb of a heartbeat shuddered through her.

A breath of pitiful gratitude turned into a gasp of pain as another heartbeat throbbed through the broken woman. "Naraku!" The woman whispered hoarsely in pain, eyes closed tight as shudders racked the burnt body.

"Stupid sorceress." Naraku smiled. "You are now whole, but what does that gain you? You now know the true pain of your injuries and defeat. By rights, you should have died in the purifying wave of that ningen girl, and yet you lived, because I held your heart in my hand. I shielded you from certain death. But now you have back what you have so long sought. Is it as wonderful as you always dreamed, Kagura?"

The awful voice was as soft as a lover's kiss, and as poisonous as a snake bite. The woman could only gasp with sobs as pain throbbed through every inch of her body. Every fractured bone, every spot burnt raw by the sacred wave tingled with vibrant agony, the pain twice as powerful as before.

Each beat of her heart, long denied her, sent pain coursing through her blood in renewed torment.

The dark lord watched the woman's suffering with delight. He couldn't resist running a clawed hand over her naked form, pressing here and there to send more pain to clench the writhing sorceress. He caressed the pale cheek of her face with the gentlest of touches, relishing the wetness of her tears on his fingers.

Smiling softly, he dragged one sharpened claw tip down her cheek. A hoarse, choked scream followed the drag of his poisonous claw. The faint hiss as her red blood hit the purple-black drops of his poison was sensuous to the dark hanyou's ears.

The broken woman writhed in pain beneath him, and Naraku felt his desire rising. Perhaps the pathetic youkai would be pleasurable after all.

He could torture the little sorceress for hours, dragging each helpless scream from her with infinite patience and care. But even as the red in his eyes grew hotter with lust, the pitiful woman shuddered, gasping, and fainted from the pain.

Disgusted, Naraku stood up. Glaring at the unconscious woman with contempt, he wondered spitefully what to do with the useless youkai. She was too damaged to ever be of any more use to him---not that she had ever done anything but fail him.

He scowled and turned to the pale form of his other incarnations. Kahna. The girl remained with her face, entirely void and expressionless, throughout the entire scene. Not even showing a sliver of emotion.

With a wave of his hand the mirror glowed and then showed the images he sought. He smiled a slow, cruel, taunting smile.

If the wolf wanted her, then he would get her.

Indeed, that would be a fitting punishment.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Inu group were currently sitting around a camp fire.

"Done!" Kagome's voice rang out through the group as she smiled at the several steaming cups of instant ramen she had recently made.

The entire group grabbed their cups, with an extra three for Inuyasha. Yet Kagome believed that she should probably have made more for some strange reason that she couldn't really explain.

"Ikadamitsu!" Sango, Miroku and Shippou all exclaimed as they split their chop sticks but then paused just before they started eating and turned to Naruto.

Who was now, laying down his cup infront of Kagome and smiling. "That was good." He complemented the astonished girl. He then stretched and walked over to a tree and then proceeded to lay down, completely ignoring the gawking stares of the rest of the group.

Inuyasha then jumped down from his perch on the tree where he ha been eating his ramen and marched over to get another. "WHAT THE HELL!" He cried out in anger as he noticed that each of them were missing.

He sniffed the air and caught the scent coming from his right, he turned and there laid Naruto happily snoring away beneath the tree. The infuriated Hanyou walked over and noticed that indeed all three empty cups were just a few feet away from him.

Inuyasha growled in anger and unsheathed Tetsusaiga, holding it high above his head as he prepared to bring it down on the Ninja. "EAT MY RAMEN WILL YOU!?"

"Inuyasha!" Kagome cried as she moved forward and stood infront of the angry Hanyou.

Before he could swing however a strong wind came from the east, forcing everyone to cover their eyes. When they reopened them, Inuyasha had his face in the dirt with Koga standing ontop of him while grasping Kagome's hands in his.

"Kagome! How's my woman today and where's that stupid mut?" The wolf asked as he started looking around.

Naruto yawned as he rolled in his sleep. "You're standing on top of him." He deadpanned.

Koga, jumped slightly at the unfamiliar voice and turned to Naruto as he finally noticed him. "Who the hell are you?"

Naruto yawned again. "The guy that wants to sleep." He stated flatly.

Koga stared at a few moments before he turned to Inuyasha at his feet. "Hey mutt-face, you better have been taking good care of my woman, while I've been gone. And Who the hell is this weirdo with the mask?"

Inuyasha's voice was muffled since his face was still firmly in the ground, having been held there by Koga's foot. "dmf yu kuta mmm gmn fill yu wfen mmm et hp fomb tehre."

(Translation): Damn you Koga I'm gonna kill you when I get up from here.

_'You know, for two guy's that say they love the same woman they sure do spend most of the time around her with their attention on eachother.' _Naruto thought as he rolled in his sleep again.

Inuyasha finally managed to heave himself off the ground, his anger at Naruto, now being directed at Koga. "That's it! YOU'RE DEAD YA MANGY WOLF!"

"Just try it mutt-face!" The wolf prince said with his usual cocky smirk.

With a growl and a lunge from the dog eared Hanyou the two began their usual brawl, making Kagome and everyone else, other than Naruto, sigh tiredly.

Seconds later Ginta and Hakkaku running out of the tree line, panting hard as they tried to heave air back into their lungs. "Man, I wish, Koga would slow down at least a little bit." Hakkaku said to Ginta. The other could only nod as he continued panting.

"Ginta! Hakkaku!" Kagome called to them as she waved happily. She had always liked the two woves that traveled with Koga, even if they were a little on the slow side.

"Oh, hi Kagome!" Ginta said as he happily began walking over.

"Hey wait, if you're here then where's Ko-**CRASH**-MANGY WOLF!- Never mind." Hakaku muttered as he walked towards the campsite.

Kagome smiled as she walked over to the campfire again. "I can make more ramen if your hungry.

The two immediately perked up at this. They remembered the last time they had tried the stuff that Kagome had called ramen.

"Sure" they answered simultaneously as they sat down.

Minutes later Kagome handed them two steaming cups of ramen. The two were practically salivating at the scent of the delicious broth. Just before they managed to dig in however they both felt a tap on their shoulders. They each turned and saw a masked shinobi with glowing red eyes and a fearsome aura of malice about him. (Genjutsu and killer intent).

'AHHHH" They both screamed as they leapt back but then noticed something…

The ramen cups were gone.

They looked back up, just in time to catch the two empty containers. They stared at the plastic cylinders in astonishment. When they looked back up Naruto was already laying down by the tree again. "HEY! HOW THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT?" Ginta and Hakaku cried out simultaneously.

They then turned to the Inu group who were each rubbing dirt out of their eyes. "How the hell did he do that? AND WHO THE HELL IS HE?"

Kagome blinked tears to get the dirt out of her eyes. "That's Naruto and we don't know how he did that."

"We don't know how he does anything!" Shippou chimed in as he continued to rub his eyes.

Naruto yawned and moved to roll over when his senses picked up something just at the edge of his awareness. He stood and turned to face the direction that it was coming from. It felt faint, weak.

To the astonishment of most Koga and Inuyasha suddenly stopped mid-fight just before Kagome was forced to sit the hanyou and they both began sniffing the air.

Koga suddenly let out a feral growl before rushing off into the tree's

"Stupid wolf's gonna get himself killed." Inuyasha snorted before rushing off after him.

"Hey wait a minute Koga!" Ginta and Hakkaku called out to the speeding wolf. "BYE KAGOME!" Ginta called out as he ran.

"HOPE WE'LL SEE YA AGAIN!"

The group stared after them for several seconds before Naruto spoke up. "Well now, doesn't that seem interesting." He stated before leaping up to the tree tops to give chase.

The rest of the Inu group glanced at eachother before scrambling for their weapons.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto rushed through the tree's passing Ginta and Hakkaku easily along with Inuyasha's mid jounin level speed easily. As he neared Koga he was forced to push chakra into his feet in order to pass, the guy was as fast as Kakashi.

Koga was rushing through the forest when he suddenly caught movement in his peripheral vision. He turned his head slightly and was shocked to see the strange masked human that was now traveling with Kagome pass him by and continue to get farther and farther away. _'What the hell? No human's faster than me! Hell hardly any demons are faster than me. Except maybe the Taiyokais.' _

He snarled as he forced himself to move even faster.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto silently landed on a tree branch above his target he looked down on the broken form of the woman beneath him. Raven black hair, pale porcelain skin and the tattered remains of a red and white Kimono.

He leapt down and stared at her face. "Kagura?" He said, sounding a bit more bored mixed in with mild surprise.

Her hair was matted against her forehead, drenched in sweat and blood, her eyes shut tight in pain, curled up in the fetal position in a desperate attempt to alleviate some of the pain.

He moved forward but stopped and snapped his head up as Koga exploded from the forest, sending splinters and wood flying everywhere. His eyes clouded with a deep rage.

Naruto narrowed his eyes. This…just got complicated.

Kouga snarled as he reared back his claws and prepared to deliver the death blow to the wind sorceress. However he nearly cried out in pain as he was forcefully stopped by a firm grip on his wrist.

He turned and found Naruto's masked form holding him, his face, a strange mixture of laziness and seriousness. "Now, isn't this just a tad bit unfair?" He stated more than asked.

Kouga growled darkly as he took a swipe at the ninja.

Naruto twisted himself back and then went under his swing, bringing his hands up in a palm thrust he slammed them into Koga's stomach, knocking the wind right out of him and sending him sprawling back.

Koga moved to get up but then realized he couldn't move his limbs. He tried again, but again nothing. Now he started to panic.

"The paralysis will pass." Naruto spoke up. Koga managed to move his eyes enough to look at him. The blond took out a paper seal. "I placed one of these on you. Medics in my village often use it on the field as a quick anesthesia. But this one is designed to last for quite awhile."

"Let me go!" Koga growled. "I'm gonna kill that bitch!"

Naruto waved around his hand in a dismissive gesture. "Now that's a stupid thing to do."

Koga moved to speak but Naruto stopped him before he could. "Now now, I don't want to explain the same thing eight times so we're gonna wait for everyone else to get here."

Seconds later Inuyasha came through the trees and looked at the three others before him and crossed his arms, glaring at Naruto. "You better have a good explanation for this."

Naruto nodded.

A few minute's later Ginta and Hakkaku also bounded up they each went to Koga but a sharp glare from both Inuyasha and Naruto stopped them dead.

Then finally the rest of the gang arrived.

"Allright, Naruto. Why's that bitch still alive?" Inuyasha asked in his usual gruff manner.

Naruto shrugged. "It would be stupid to kill her now."

"But she's weak now, surely this is the greatest opportunity." Sango said as she began unhooking her Hiraikotsu.

Naruto blinked and crossed his arms. "Didnt I teach you to plan ahead? The reason Naraku has always been beating or escaping is because unlike all of you he has been staying ahead of you by three or four steps. He plans and executes his plans when the time is just right."

He looked to Inuyasha. "Is it not true that Naraku once defended Kagura from your wind scar by placing a horde of yokai infront of her to take the damage?"

Inuyasha nodded.

'Then that show's you that he had a purpose for her, a reason to keep her alive, now that this reason is no more he has delivered her to us. Or more specifically to wolf man over here. Because of his fierce hatred for her he would have killed her without a second thought especially now that she's weak. So, its quite simple, we keep her alive for information, she must know where Naraku's whereabouts are making it much easier to find him."

"But Kagura has tried to kill us in the past, how do we know this isn't some sort of a trap?"

"How many of you would have gotten here before Koga?"

They each glanced at eachother.

"How many of you would have defended her?"

Silence.

"Koga would have killed her. Meaning that my interference is a factor that he most likely didn't plan on. If Kagura is not a fanatical loyalist to him, I doubt she will protect him. The information she has will be taken from her and we will use it against Naraku.

"Still, she has tried to kill us." Shippou spoke.

Naruto nodded. "Indeed, as did Inuyasha to Kagome when he first met her, as you tried to steal the shards when you first met them, as Miroku tried to suck Inuyasha into his wind tunnel and as Sango tried to kill Inuyasha at their first meeting."

"Sango was tricked by Naraku." Kagome defended her friend.

"Ahhh" Naruto smiled. "And how do you know that Naraku is not doing something similar to her. He could have something of hers, she is his incarnation, he gave her life. It is not mind boggling that he could take it away as well."

The group looked at eachother warily before Inuyasha, decided to speak. "Feh, she's your responsibility blondy."

"WHAT!" Koga cried outraged. "THAT BITCH KILLED MY PACK SHE DESERVES TO DIE AND I'M GONNA BE THE ONE TO KILL HER!"

"Ahhh, Naruto spoke as he turned to the still paralyzed wolf. "Koga, I cannot say that its wrong for you to want revenge, but taking it this way is dishonorable. If you want revenge you're going to have to earn it." _'As I did' _

With those words the blond moved towards the broken woman and picked her up bridal stile. She winced at his touch and whimpered pitifully. Indeed, he doubted that she served Naraku willingly.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Here ya go. Sorry it took so long but my mom is being a pain and school is also a factor


	14. Freedom is the greatest happyness

HELLO LADIES AND GENTLEMEN I'M BAAAAAAACCCCCCKKKKKKKKK!

Guess what school over here got cancelled for a whole week! HURAY!

Also I never said that the pairing was going to be Naru/Kagu…yet. I stated that he would have a scene with each of the females before I reopened the polls again. So for those of you who felt secure with the Naru/Kagu pairing I'm sorry to say that its not a certain thing yet.

Well now that my celebration over here is over lets get on with the story.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Numb.

That was the only true word that could be used to describe what Kagura awoke to. She felt detached. As if her mind wandered in a realm away from her body. Floating amidst a sea of endless fog. She couldn't see, she couldn't hear, she couldn't feel, she couldn't smell. She could do nothing but wait.

_'Is this death?'_ She quietly asked herself.

How long she remained in this state is unknown to her but eventually she could faintly hear a whisper, or an echo, at the edges of her senses.

Blinded and unfeeling as she was she struggled to follow the sound. To lead herself out of this place, this place that felt so hollow so empty.

As she became aware of herself, of her senses, of her thoughts, the echoes continued to reach, becoming more and more clear as to what they truly were.

_'Voices?'_ She questioned. Her own voice sounded faint in this realm, weak.

"Are you sure this is going to work?" The first voice, of a young woman perhaps. Yet it was familiar as well.

"Not in the least." The second voice, one that sounded so familiar yet so distant and foreign. "But if we do nothing then she dies anyway. Sometimes I wish I would have paid more attention to Tsunade's medical mumbo-jumbo."

"Who?"

"Never mind it's not important"

Kagura struggled to remain but her strength failed her and she slowly fell back into darkness.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto and Kagome sat near Kagura's bedside Naruto was adorning the floor with numerous seals as well as putting small paper seals over the places where Kagura's injuries were the worst. They had left the others outside of the village since many of the villagers were very wary of demons, hateful even. Already they had been getting some complementary stones with notes.

'Are you sure this is going to work?" She asked the blond, masked ninja.

"Not in the least!" He replied cheerfully, making Kagome, sweat drop. "But if we do nothing then she dies anyway. Sometimes I wish I would have paid more attention to Tsunade's medical mumbo-jumbo." He muttered the last part under his breath.

"Who?" Kagome asked curiously. _'Allright! I at least have a name now.'_ Indeed since just a few weeks ago the entire group had joined together and decided that they were each going to piece together as much information about Naruto as they could through bits and pieces of conversation. Many little things make one really big thing eventually.

Naruto shook his head. "Never mind, it's not important."

Kagome's eye twitched in annoyance. But she kept the name imprinted in her mind. _'Tsunade'_

The sound of angered villagers reached their ears making Naruto let out a tired sigh. "Here we go again."

Kagome sighed as well. "Why do they keep doing this? We're staying at a hut, away from the village basically minding our own business."

Naruto stood and wiped his hands. "Human's instinctively fear what they do not understand and therefore, try to eliminate it."

Kagome turned to him with a slightly angry look. "Not all humans are bad. And you're human too."

Naruto eyed her for a moment. "Perhaps." He said leaving Kagome to wonder if he was addressing the first statement or the last.

Naruto exited the hut and came across the sight of about three dozen villagers all standing in front of the hut with pitchforks and torches. _'Hn, reminds me of my younger days.' _He thought to himself with a lazy shrug.

"Now, now, what's this about?" He asked as he crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"You there! Ninja, step aside and let us remove this demon filth from our lands." One villager shouted the others cheering in agreement.

Naruto sighed tiredly. He knew this mob mentality and he knew it would be damn near impossible to dissuade them without the use of violent action.

"She has done nothing to you, so why don't you head back to your homes and rest so you may tend to your fields tomorrow." He said hoping to reason with them even though he knew it would end in futility.

"That demon doesn't deserve to live!' One man yelled from the back making Naruto's eyes narrow.

This scene was starting to get far too familiar for his tastes.

"Step out of our way _demon lover._" His eyes narrowed further. Indeed_ far _too familiar.

Naruto closed his eyes in an attempt to rein in his anger. This was bringing up far more memories than what he had originally intended.

He opened his eyes just as a villager threw a torch to the roof of the house. With a flick of his wrist a kunai sailed through the air and intercepted the projectile sending it elsewhere.

"Go home." He spoke. His voice was tight and held a clear edge of anger and warning in it.

Kagome who was watching the scene from a the small opening the cloth that blocked the entranceway left was beginning to feel a little nervous. She had never heard his voice like that and if this was his voice when he was getting angry she would hate to hear it when he was really pissed.

Apparently some of these villagers had a death wish however.

"If he stands with the demon then he deserves to die with it!" One yelled making others cheer in agreement.

"He's only one man! He cant defeat us all!" More cheers of agreement.

"We will remove this taint from our village." That was it! That was the final straw. That comment hit just a little too close to home. It was the villagers always screamed when they felt they had him cornered in his youth.

"ENOUGH!" He yelled sending a powerful gust of wind that sent the villagers flying fifty feet back.

They each stood again rather shakily and stared at the ninja with the glint of fear in their eyes.

"Go home." He spoke softly, but his voice at that moment was more powerful than the roars of a thousand thunderstorms and in a rush the villagers all fled back to their homes.

Naruto sighed and pushed the old memories out of his mind as he turned back and entered the hut.

Kagome looked at him a little nervously "What was that about?"

Naruto paused for a moment. "Just keeping dead memories buried." He replied and Kagome suddenly knew that there was much, much more to Naruto than any of them previously suspected.

"Let's get some rest, cured or not, we're leaving this village at dawn and well meet up with the others on our way out."

Kagome nodded in agreement. Staying here would do more harm than good for Kagura and while Kagome didn't have any real great love for the wind sorceress she was not so heartless to let her be harmed or abused while she was at her weakest.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Meanwhile hidden in the darkness of his lair Naraku snarled in anger. This was not supposed to go this way! Koga was supposed to have taken his revenge on Kagura…instead that…that…NINJA, had ruined everything AGAIN!

He had miscalculated, he didn't take into account the unknown factor, and now he was in dire straights. Kagura knew where he was and she would lead them here to fight. This wouldn't be much of a problem in itself he could simply jump to another lair and they would be in the dark again.

Problem was…he _had_ no other hideout. He hadn't preoccupied himself to find anything since the group was quite far from his current location and it would take them quite some time to find him given their current progress.

But now…now Kagura could tell them where he was rather easily. He had precious little time to form a proper plan and to find where he would go incase he needed escape. That wouldn't preoccupy him too much if it were just the normal group but with Kagura and more importantly this Naruto helping them he begrudgingly had to admit that they could now pose a significant threat.

He had to find something on the boy, some weakness, everyone had at least one. Human's especially.

Whatever it was he would find it, even if it took him a thousand lifetimes!

But for now, he had to prepare for the coming confrontation.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kagura slowly opened her eyes. Her vision was blurry and her head throbbed with pain. The first thing she noticed was the rotten wood of and old worn down hut and the soft glow of the suns rays as they filtered through an opening that served as a window.

'_Where am I?'_ She asked herself and moved her head weakly in order to look at the room.

Her ears suddenly heard the sound of voices outside.

'Kagome, are you ready?"

'_Kagome? But…that's that girl's name, the one who travels with Inuyasha.'_

She heard the sound of approaching footsteps and looked to the doorway just as Naruto entered.

Her eyes widened in surprise and even more so when he turned to her with what appeared to be a smile on his face. "Ahh, so you're awake."

He walked over to her and felt her tense as he approached. He knelt next to the futon and reached for a bottle of water that was nearby.

"Wha- what do you…" The wind demoness tried to speak but her voice was hoarse and dry. It felt as if she was scraping her throat with sand paper.

"Shhh." The blond silenced her. "Don't talk just yet, your injuries are barely treated and you're gonna be weak for a while. You can ask me whatever you want then. But for now, we have to move, meaning I'm going to have to move you. It may hurt but it's necessary, staying in this place would cause more harm than good. Do you understand?"

Kagura was stunned. Was he actually…showing her compassion? It was a foreign concept to her and she felt quite uncomfortable in this situation. The last thing she remembered was pain and Naraku's terrible ruby red gaze upon her and now she was here?

"Kagura." Naruto's voice brought her back to the living. "I have to move you. Is that _okay_?" He asked again.

Slowly she nodded her head in consent.

Naruto quickly formed two shadow clones and had them gently lift her up into a sitting position and then onto Naruto's back in a piggy back position. Despite the fact that she was a little disoriented her mind still registered this and felt that this was rather humiliating but if the feeling of numbness in her legs was any indication she wouldn't be walking on this day.

Using a great deal of what little strength she asked. "Why?" She had to know, if nothing else to know what her fate would be, she highly doubted they were doing this out of the goodness of their hearts. They probably wanted information.

"Well, you're injured and despite the fact that it is the honorable thing to do you can also tell us where Naraku is.

Ahh, so they did want information. She wanted to tell them everything. If it was her choice she would tell them whatever they needed to kill that bastard of a hanyou. But she couldn't do anything not while he had her…

Wait…he…he had…

_"What if I was to return your heart to you, Kagura?"_

_Smirking, the dark lord opened his palm, allowing the red essence of the woman's heart to spill gently around the wind youkai._

_"Stupid sorceress." Naraku smiled. "You are now whole, but what does that gain you? You now know the true pain of your injuries and defeat. By rights, you should have died in the purifying wave of that ningen girl, and yet you lived, because I held your heart in my hand. I shielded you from certain death. But now you have back what you have so long sought. Is it as wonderful as you always dreamed, Kagura?"_

She suddenly remembered everything. He had given her her heart.

The stupid bastard had given her the heart that rightfully belonged to her.

She had her life.

She was free.

For the first time in her life Kagura cried tears of happiness and despite the fact that each of these laughs brought a slight physical pain due to her injuries she didn't care she cried and laughed small laughs that felt like a cleansing of her soul.

Only one thought mattered in her mind at the moment. _'I'm free.'_

Naruto felt her movement on his back and smelt the salt of her tears, somehow however, he just knew that she wasn't in pain.

'_Well Midoriko. It appears as though the tides are turning in our favor.' _He silently thought before making his way outside of the hut to leave.

He looked to Kagome who was heaving that giant….thing…she called a back pack onto her back. He nodded to her and with that they silently began making their way out of the village.

On the way out Kagome, out of curiosity looked to Kagura and saw on the wind sorceress's face, the most content smile she had ever seen and somehow, she knew they had made the right choice in saving her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Well that's another chapter done. This indeed was a filler. In the next chap Kikyo may finally make an appearance. Read and review please.


	15. A strange encounter

Here we go again.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kagura slowly awoke to the strange combination of yelling, hysterical laughter and a strange crashing of sorts. Her vision was blurry at first but as her eyes adjusted to the light she caught sight of the Inu group. The girl, Kagome, was yelling the word 'Sit' at the top of her lungs as the Hanyou, Inuyasha crashed into the dirt over and over again.

Off to the side, the rest of the Inu group was heaving with hysterical fits of laughter at the Hanyou's expense.

_What…what am I doing here?' _She mentally asked herself before the events of the last time she was awake returned to her. She smiled slightly at the thought of her new freedom. She soon realized however that the ninja was not with the group.

She struggled to raise herself up to a sitting position. Every bone and muscle in her body ached and burned in protest to her movements but never the less she continued to struggle.

Kagome managed to calm herself down enough to finally notice their, now conscious, guest. She looked around. No Naruto to ease the situation at the moment. Since everyone other than Shippou would most probably show open distrust and perhaps even full blown hate in Sango and Inuyasha's case. So it was up to her to appease the situation it seemed.

Kagura was startled as she felt someone helping her raise herself. She looked back up and found Kagome's chocolate brown eyes staring back at her. "You really shouldn't be moving too much." She said as Kagura finally managed to get herself upright.

The others each tensed at the sight of the now conscious wind demoness. Shippou, bounded up to Kagome and leapt up to her shoulder. Miroku, discretely slipped a few demonic suppressing seals into his hand. Sango as well slipped a kunai hidden in her sleeve into her hand.

And Inuyasha…well…Inuyasha was still face down in the ground, muffling curses to the world.

Kagura winced slightly in pain and then looked at the collective group that was staring at her.

Kagome shifted from foot to foot nervously as an awkward silence fell over them. This was just too weird. How the hell did you start a conversation with someone who, practically, up until the other day you were both trying to kill eachother? She opened her mouth to speak but Kagura cut her off.

"What do you all want from me?"

Kagome snapped her mouth shut and looked around, almost willing Naruto to show up. This was his idea damnit!

Miroku luckily decided to intervene. "Information." The monk spoke solemnly as he walked over.

"About Naraku I assume." She said as she shifted herself into a more comfortable position. "What do you want to know?" She asked. She didn't have anything to hide. She would tell them everything within her knowledge.

Sango narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "You seem awfully cooperative."

Kagura shrugged elegantly. "I always hated Naraku. He forces his subjects into a bitter slavery. Your brother, along with what I would call my younger sister Kahna follow him like zombies. With no will. Since I was the first of his incarnations I was born with free will. He corrected that mistake with Kahna and any other of his cast offs."

Inuyasha finally managed to stand up from his position on the floor. "If you hated him so much then why did you keep helping him?" He stated more than asked.

Her eyes darkened considerably. "Because the bastard could kill me whenever he damn well wanted to."

Kagome nad the others each shared glances. Hers of nervousness, Inuyasha's and Sango's of suspicion and Miroku's quiet contemplation.

Another awkward silence descended upon them.

This time it was Kagome who broke it. 'So where is Naraku hiding now?"

Kagura looked off to the distance. 'He is to the east." Last I saw he was near the borders of the wolf tribes. It's hard to tell if he's still there though."

"You said he could kill you at any time. What's changed?" Miroku asked.

Kagura sighed. They wouldn't believe it unless they saw it. Everyone watched in silent fascination as a glowing red orb that pulsed regularly emerged from her chest. She held it gingerly in her hands as it pulsed. She smiled and then placed it back in her chest.

She stared back up at the group who were staring at her with this strange look. "That was my heart. Naraku held it until recently. With it in his possession he could kill me whenever he wanted. But he slipped up and now its back were it belongs. So now I don't have to serve him anymore."

"Feh, you expect me to believe that." Inuyasha declared gruffly as he crossed his arms.

"It is possible Inuyasha." Kagome said making the hanyou look at her like she was crazy.

"This is too convenient." Sango spoke.

"While I do agree it is seemingly too convenient, I cannot discount the possibility that it may be true. Miroku spoke making both Inuyasha and Sango turn to him with incredulous looks.

Shippou and Kirara watched the four argue and bicker over weather they should believe the wind demoness or not believe the wind demoness. The small kit then turned to Kagura. "Why don't you tell them something else? Like a weakness he might have or something?

Kagura was momentarily taken aback but in the end decided that she would want to get revenge on the bastard hanyou that caused her such pain. But in order to do that she would need help and this group was as good as any.

She thought for a moment before a glaring weakness came to her. The same one she had.

"His heart." She whispered.

The entire group stopped squabbling and turned to her. "What was that?" Inuyasha demanded more than asked.

Kagura looked up and smirked. "Naraku's heart."

"What of it?"

The wind demoness smirked in an almost evil manner, reminiscent of her old enslaver. "You know that when you met Naraku on Mnt. Hakurei he was at least ten times more powerful right?"

The group nodded.

"Good, the reason for that is simple. He got rid of his heart."

"Feh, bastard didn't have a heart in the first place." Inuyasha snarled.

"Let her finish Inuyasha." Kagome admonished.

Kagura sighed. "Look, you know that Naraku was formed by combining the evil heart of a man called Onigumo and the power of a thousand low level yokai right? Well Naraku managed to separate the demon side of himself from the human heart that held his power in check. His heart is separated from his body now. He may be powerful but his heart is a mere infant, literally. He gave his heart the form of a child and now its nearly defenseless all it has is some skill with barriers and the possessing of peoples souls."

The group looked at eachother. "So…" Sango spoke slowly. "We kill this infnant…"

"And you kill Naraku." Kagura finished. I'm not sure where he keeps the kid, but wherever it is its…" She paused suddenly. Her eyes going wide.

Inuyasha's nose and ears twitched and he immediately swerved around and stared off into the direction Naruto had left.

"He's here." Kagura spoke.

Damnit!" Inuyasha cursed unsheathing Tetsusaiga. "Lets go. Shippou, Kirara stay here and watch her, make sure she doesn't try anything.

The others didn't need to be told to know just who was here as ione they grabbed their weapons and rushed off.

Kagura sighed. She wished she could go and deliver some much deserved punishment onto that damn Hanyou but in her weakened state and without her fan to control the wind she was as useless as a kitten.

Shippou stared at Kagura with those wide innocent green eyes making her extremely uncomfortable and as Kirara, in her smaller form joined in the staring with those wide creepy red eyes she felt even more uncomfortable. "What?" She finally snapped as she glared at them.

The little fox kit stared at her for a few more seconds before raising his hand and offering her something. "Want a cookie?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto meanwhile was silently moving through the trees of the dense forests looking for something that he could kill so he could bring back to the camp. As he moved through the forest the trees suddenly parted, revealing a beautiful waterfall, its flowing waters creating a harmonic melody that floated through the night air.

This sight would normally bring someone peace yet for him, it was filled with nothing but painful memories. For it reminded him of a certain Hyuuga girl that trained in such places. While he never truly grew to love Hinata as she loved him he did consider her a precious friend. More so than what others believed.

It is such a quiet thing. The loss of a life. Almost a whisper amongst the cries and shouts of the world. Yet that lone whisper travels farther and longer than the shouts ever will and they leave echoes. Echoes that remain and travel farther still.

He sighed tiredly and sadly. He looked older then, far older than what one as young as he should have.

On the outside he may look normal. But on the inside...on the inside he felt like nothing but a husk. He did not want to continue this...this..._life,_ if it could be called such. His mask, the emotional one that he had worn for so long had blurred the feeling of self. He could no , longer distinguish between what was an act and what was real.

He felt hollow, dead, dead to others and even dead to himself.

Who was Uzumaki Naruto?

It was a question few ever asked and even fewer still ever managed to answer.

Naruto looked at his own hand. "Who am I really?" He asked himself with a bitter chuckle.

He hated himself. He hated the fact that he had survived when they had not. He hated the fact that he, who was supposed to be the sacrifice had managed to escape the jaws of death while others had been consumed by it.

Why did he continue? Why did he prolong this stagnant existence?

_'Live'_

"I don't want to." He whispered to himself.

He sighed tiredly. "Why are you here?" He asked without even looking up.

From the dark shadows the forest trees cast the Naraku, wearing his baboon pelt emerged like a specter. "I have a proposition for you nigen." He spoke. But Naruto noticed that this time his voice did not carry that confident edge it always held when he addressed everyone.

The blond chuckled. "I did not think you would be so worried Naraku. Its barely been a week yet and Kagura has only woke once for a few brief minutes because of the injuries inflicted on her. I didn't think you'd be feeling pressure this soon." He spoke in a taunting tone of voice.

Naraku gritted his teeth as he refrained from attacking the blond. Even with his enhanced powers he still wasn't sure if he could fight and defeat the blond before the others arrived. He had no doubts that he could defeat this human one on one but with Inuyasha and the others so nearby he wasn't willing to risk it. "I am never worried Human" He spat out the word human like it was a curse. "I merely wish to make my life easier. I have gathered many items impersonating this human prince. Everyone has a price. Name yours."

Naruto hummed, in thought then snapped his fingers as if he had just had a marvelous idea. "How about your head? That's not too difficult I'm sure."

Naraku snarled. "Very well. Since you will not be dissuaded then I suppose I will just have to eliminate you." He said before he exploded forward in a furious attack.

Naruto was slightly taken aback by this. It was not Naraku's style to do this, it was too forward. He must be truly desperate then.

The blond took out two Kunai and swerved left to avoid one of Naraku's tentacles. He jumped over another and backpedaled to avoid a third. With a chakra enhanced back flip, he managed to put some distance between himself and the spider demon.

He tossed his two kunai, each with explosive tags at the demon.'

Naraku moved his tentacles into the metal projectiles path with a resounding **'Boom' **The tags exploded, destroying whole chunks of the rotted flesh that the extensions were made from. But in seconds they were regenerated and Naraku was on the attack again.

Naruto narrowed his eyes and formed a simple set of seals. "**Kirigakure no jutsu**" He whispered forming a thick mist all around them. With the waterfall nearby it gave him the advantage. It would be harder to hear him and he had all the water he might need at merely a stones throw away.

Naraku snarled as his tentacles smashed through the tree the Ninja had previously been standing on before the mist consumed him. He felt the wood splinter, crack and shatter before the power of his attack but he knew that he had missed his target. Where the hell had this mist come from anyway? Was this another of the strange nigens skills?

Before he could think further a red glow coming from behind him made him turn. His eyes went wide at the sight of a dragon formed from flames emerged from the mist. He swerved to the side narrowly avoiding the blast. Even so his baboon pelt was in flames. With a toss it was off and his pale face and dark hair were visible.

"My, my, my you seem angry Naraku." Naruto's taunting voice came from all around.

"You are difficult to kill nigen."

"For one as limited as you...perhaps. To have so much power yet no mind to use it. What a waste."

The spider demon snarled. "I will show you waste, nigen. You will learn to fear my name.""

The winds shifted and the mist was suddenly blown away. Naraku turned around and found Naruto, standing just a few yards away, holding what appeared to be a glowing ball made of pure energy in his right hand.

_'What is that?'_ Naraku asked himself as he took a step back in fear. The power and intensity of this..._thing..._ could be felt even from this distance.

Naruto glared at Naraku with anger in his eyes. They flashed red for a brief moment before he spoke. "I have seen horrors that one as foolish as you can only imagine. I have seen hate. I have seen anger. And I have seen fear. Remember this_ half breed, _**I FEAR NO ONE!**" He yelled before he rushed forward.

Naraku's eyes went wide with fear as Naruto appeared infront of him with the sphere reared back as he prepared to drive it into his chest.

**"RASENGAN!"** He yelled before he plowed the ball of energy into Naraku's chest. The attack tore and shredded the spider hanyou to bits.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Hidden in his lair Naraku watched as the wooden doll that represented his puppet was cut in half indicating its defeat. The memories came to him and he frowned darkly. His puppets usually only had one tenth of the strength that he had. But the simple fact that the human was able to defeat one by himself and with such a powerful attack unnerved him greatly.

It appears as though he would have to reassess the situation.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto panted slightly as his attack died down, revealing the torn and scared landscape before him. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath and prepared to return when a presence startled him.

He turned his head to the forest on the other side of the waterfall where he only managed to catch a brief glimpse of a pair of glowing red eyes that seemed all too familiar before he felt a stabbing pain in his head and he blacked out.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_'Wake up, Naru-chan'_ Came the mocking voice that seemed to echo around him.

_'Wake up!'_ came the mocking voice again forcing him into the world of semi consciousness.

He opened his eyes, his vision was blurry and dark, as if someone had just smacked him in the back of the head with a sledge hammer. He groans in pain. He tries to lift his arms but to no avail. They feel like lead weights. His head throbbed in pain and his own heartbeat was loud in his ears. "Ohhh, god...shit. Did anyone get the license plate of that truck?." He groans as he manages to roll from his back onto his stomach.

As he manages to put his hands on the ground in preparation to lift himself he notices something tied onto his finger. He blinks owlishly before moving his hand to take a closer look.

"A fang?" He asks himself in a disbelieving voice.

He tries to pick himself up but the results were less than painless.

"Ouch." He groans as he hits the floor again. The voices of the others soon reaches him just before Inuyasha lands right next to him.

"You dead already?" The hanyou asks.

Naruto groans. "Nice to see you too Inuyasha."

The hanyou looks around the clearing. "What the hell happened?"

Naruto sighed and muttered under his breath. "Well I just decided that I wanted to see something blow up. What the hell do you think happened genius I was attacked!" He said sarcastically.

Inuyasha immediately becomes incensed. "What's that! You want to get your ass kicked even more!"

"Inuyasha sit!"

The hanyou immediately plows into the ground in a nice heap.

Kagome and the others of the party joined them as they came out of the tree line. They knelt down around Naruto, Miroku helping him get to his feet and slinging an arm over his shoulder. "What happened?" Sango asked followed shortly by Kagome's "Are you all right?"

"Never better" The blond replied. "And it appears Naraku doesn't like me much. He wants me dead."

Inuyasha mannaged to lift himself off the ground. "Why the hell didn't you give me the straight answer?"

Naruto blinked and turned to him. "Did you say something?"

Inuyasha had to refrain from murdering Naruto at that moment.

"So he sent one of his puppets to deal with you?" Miroku asked.

Naruto chuckled. "I assume so, because if you've been fighting such a weak opponent for such a long time and haven't managed to beat him yet then you guys are in worse shape than I thought.

Inuyasha huffed and crossed his arms "Well you seem to have done a good job of getting your ass kicked."

Naruto chuckled. "Make no mistake Inuyasha. It was not Naraku that did this to me."

Everyone stared at him startled. "Then who was it?" Sango asked.

Naruto remained quiet for several moments. "Don't know." He lied. Luckily, Inuyasha distracted as he was didn't pick up on it through scent. "Lets head back to camp."

They all nodded and together began heading back.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Here ya go. Kikyo didn't show up here but she might show up in the next one. If not then definitely in the one after that.

Read and review


	16. Misplaced hate

Here I am!

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"HIRAIKOTSU!" Sango yelled as she hurled her boomerang weapon at the large bear yokai that was attacking them. The massive weapon soared through the air and with a sickening sound cut through flesh and bone, severing the yokai's left arm.

With a howl of pain and rage the massive bear charged at the Tajiya.

Sango's boomerang came back around just in time for her to use it as a shield as the bear yokai took a swipe at her. Even though the Hiraikotsu took the brunt of the attack she was still sent flying back. With a painful thud her back hit a tree trunk.

She groaned and looked back up just as the bear was prepared to take another swipe at her. Before its claws came down however Inuyasha, in his full red clad glory, leapt at the yokai and with a battle cry its last arm was severed with a swipe from the Tetsusaiga.

The bear yokai howled in pain again before an arrow, bathed in holy purification power flew through the air and hit the demon square in the forehead, turning him to ash.

Inuyasha 'keh'ed' and hefted his sword onto his shoulder. This is getting ridiculous, none of these guys are a decent challenge anymore even with the shards!"

"Such is the skill that comes with proper training Inuyasha." Naruto Spoke as he entered the cleari9ng with Miroku and Kagura, now able to walk, following closely behind him.

While the group still showed a mild unease in her presence it was a step up from the thinly veiled suspicion they had regarded her with for the first few weeks. Her injuries had healed well, yet still, without a proper fan she was nigh useless in a fight. So she hung back most of the time, simply observing the proceedings until they could find a proper fan for her.

It wasn't easy, few fans could harness and focus a demons yoki. Only demon made fans were capable of such a thing and those were extremely rare.

Sango grunted as she picked herself up and groaned at the sight of a cracked Hioraikotsu "Damnit." She cursed under her breath.

Inuyasha heard her curse and turned to her as he sheathed his blade. "What the hell is your problem?" He asked in his usual gruff tone.

Sango glared at him and lifted the Hiraikotsu so he and her companions could get a beter view. "THIS is my problem Inuyasha. Now I have to head back to my village to have it repaired."

Inuyasha growled. "Hell no. It'll take you at least a whole week to go there and come back."

Naruto deciding to appease the situation decided to step in before Sango decided to break Hiraikotsu completely on the hanyou's skull. "Those who fail to prepare, prepare to fail. She has to have her weapon repaired it is better to repair it now than to have it break mid-battle."

Miroku nodded as he gave his consent. "Yes, Inuyasha, Naruto is right. And besides. I must go to the old monk who raised me (Forgot this guy's name) and have him check my wind tunnel to make sure everything is well. I think it may have widened some more since we last visited him."

Inuyasha was about to protest when Kagura spoke. "In my time with Naraku I had found a few fans similar to my own. I kept them hidden incase he ever chose to disarm me. I think I've recovered enough to make the trip."

"Keh, wench, if you think I'm just gonna go and crawl back to Naraku then you've got another thing coming."

Kagura looked incensed at his words. To think that she would ever crawl back to Naraku was an insult in itself.

Naruto held up a hand. "Let her go."

"WHAT!" Inuyasha roared.

"She wont do anything to betray us." He spoke and then turned his head to look at Kagura from the corner of his eyes. "Will you Kagura?" It was a threat, not a question and his blue eyes seemed to pierce her, like a spear through a balloon. She held back a shiver and nodded.

Inuyasha still looked like he was about to protest when Kagome spoke, sealing the deal. "And I have to head back home. I'm running out of Ramen and supplies.

That shut him up good. If there was one thing Inuyasha couldn't resist it was the lure of ramen.

But then a thought occurred to him. "Hey wait a minute! I've only eaten two bowls of those things since you last came back."

Kagome looked at him oddly. "Really?"

"Yes! Really!" He imitated her with a huff.

Then his eyes darkened and he turned to glare at the only blond in the group, who seemed to find the surrounding tree tops quite interesting.

He growled lowly when Naruto suddenly spoke to Sango. "Sango, did your village ever keep any...records of sorts on ergh...ancient demons?" He phrased a little uncertainly.

Sango looked at him with a little of what seemed like surprised excitement. "Why...yes. My father showed me the chambers once. They were hidden in a cave not to far from Midoriko's cave. When the demons raided the village and destroyed everything they didn't know of the caves existence and so nothing was harmed. Why do you ask though?"

Naruto took a moment to answer. "There's a certain demon I would like to look up."

Kagome narrowed her eyes in suspicion. _'A demon? He had asked to look up a certain scroll that was supposedly written by a demon in my time. What was the demons name again? Ku- ki-Kyu something. I know it started with a K damnit.'_

"What's the demons name? Maybe I can remember it from some of the scrolls I read." Sango spoke.

Naruto waved her off, "No I cant remember the name unless I see it." He lied, doing his best to mask not only his body language, tone of voice and features but his scent as well. Inuyasha and Shippou may pick up on it.

"Well do you at least remember what type of demon it was?"

Naruto had a short internal conflict as to weather or not to disclose that information. But if he said that he didn't remember that may arouse suspicion. "Yes, it was a fox demon."

Sango looked taken aback. "A fox demon?" She asked with what appeared to be slight astonishment. "Fox demons are very tricky and hardly ever grow to be trully powerful in comparison to other demons."

"HEY!" Shippou cried out indignantly.

"They are masters of stealth and only two or three were ever known to cause any sort of devastation to the land. Unlike with the dog demons or dragons that have caused quite a bit of destruction in their day."

"Heh, you see that runt! We're better than you!" Inuyasha goaded the little fox kit.

Shippou smirked evilly a smirk that Inuyasha saw clear as day. "WAHHHHH, Kagome Inuyasha is being mean!" He wailed.

_'Why that little...'_

"Sit boy!"

**CRASH**

_'I'm gonna kill that little shit!' _The Hanyou mentally promised himself.

Naruto watched as Inuyasha plowed into the ground and blinked several times before turning to Miroku. "In which direction is the monk you're gonna see."

Miroku pointed south. "Just that way I would say over eight hills and four valleys."

Naruto nodded and turned to Kagura. "And your objective?"

Kagura hesitated for only a moment as she debated weather or not to trust them she decided that it was in her best interest to gain their trust. "Its in the same direction. Just a bit farther." She answered.

Naruto nodded and turned to Sango. "And yours?"

"Its back the way we came, just a little more north west."

Naruto nodded. "Good, I'll be joining you then." He then turned to Kagome. "Where do we meet up?"

Kagome shrugged. "At Kaede's village I guess."

Inuyasha stood and glared at the Kitsune, who was avoiding his gaze intently. He snorted and crossed his arms. 'Whatever. Lets just set up camp here and we'll leave in the morning."

Naruto nodded. "I would go out hunting, but I really don't want to have to deal with a sequel to the events of the other night."

Inuyasha feh'ed and walked over. "Just make sure you keep up." He said before taking off.

Naruto smiled and waved at the group before following.

The group each looked at each other, Kagura was a bit more tensed now. Even though Kagome showed her some form of support Naruto was the one that truly held off the brunt of the others piercing gazes. Sango's in particular was rather venomous. Even though she understood where the demon slayers hatred was coming from that didn't mean she would tolerate it.

As Sango continued to glare at Kagura the wind demoness returned it full force, refusing to back down despite her lack of a proper weapon.

The tension between the two was so thick you could cut it with a knife. The very air seemed to cackle and waver between them.

Kagome and Miroku shared a glance and gave each other a silent nod of agreement.

"Ummm, Sango, why don't you and I move to set up the camp?" Miroku suggested gently as he led her aside. She seemed a little miffed at being interrupted but in the end decided to follow.

Kagura watched her go and then felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned slightly and saw Kagome with a gentle smile on her face with Shippou peacefully perched above her shoulder. "I think there's a stream nearby. Would you like to help me go and refill our canteens?"

Kagura hesitated for a moment before nodding and the two began following.

No one noticed Naraku's insect as it flew away to report back to his master.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sango watched the two leave with an angry scowl on her face. She did not like the presence of the wind demoness. The mere thought that she may have helped in the death of her family and the subsequent brainwashing of her brother into nothing but a mere slave caused her blood to boil.

A part of her would have preferred to have just left the wind demoness on the field where they had found her, broken and as fodder for the low level beasts or to Koga's vengeance.

One part of her whispered that she would be no better than Naraku himself if she would have done that. But another part couldn't help but feel bitter, even hateful against her. She blamed her for her brothers slavery, despite the fact that she knew her village was destroyed before Kagura had even been spawned from Naraku.

Still, even though she isn't to blame, by human nature alone, coupled with her frustration at Naraku's constant escapes and the continued slavery of her brother she needed an outlet. Someone to blame and at the moment. Kagura was the easiest target.

She caught Miroku staring at her with a strange look that mixed sadness, sympathy and slight disappointment. 'What!" She snapped in a very Inuyasha like way.

Miroku jumped slightly and merely continued making camp, pointedly ignoring her or rather, her furious glare.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

As Kagome, Kagura and Shippou came across a small stream Kagome kneeled down as Shippou bounded off her shoulder. The two of them dipped their canteens into the water and watched as air bubbles came up, indicating that they were filling up. Kagura hesitated for a moment before she knelt next to her and did the same.

Kagome sighed. "I'm sorry about Sango. She…she's just having a hard time adjusting to this. Harder than all of us anyway."

Kagura looked at the girl with shock clear on her features. Was she trying to comfort her? "It-its fine I suppose. She uncharacteristically stuttered. "I understand her behavior, that does not mean however that I will merely roll over and allow her to do it unopposed." She said tossing a relatively mild glare toward the miko, expecting to be opposed.

To her shock, Kagome nodded in consent. "I can understand that. Just please try and be patient with her. She'll come around eventually."

Shippou happily bounded up onto Kagome's shoulder and smiled at the wind demoness. "Yeah, Sango's really nice. It'll just take her a little while to get over the part that you had helped Naraku."

Kagome smiled at the kits antics and then stood as she turned back to the camp. "Lets head back."

Kagura nodded, slightly dumbfounded. She had expected the miko favoring the tajiya. Thus causing an argument and even more hostility between herself and the group. But it had not occurred. Instead they had shown her understanding and even acceptance.

She stood and began following them back to the camp.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naraku listened to the insect as it reported all the information it had discovered back to him. So the group was splitting up. Unfortunately, the miko and Inuyasha were to powerful together for anyone short of himself to go now that he had lost Kagura.

He didn't know where his incarnation would go and attacking the ninja may mean bringing out a good portion of his power making it easy for his enemies to find him. That he didn't want. No Humans greatest weakness was their emotions. And the most emotional of the humans were the females. He had to cause a rift in the group, killing the monk wouldn't do it but killing the tajiya might. Because of her love and determination to save her brother Sango would fight a way through her grief until she either succeeded or failed in her vendetta.

The monk's feelings for the wench were no secret. Killing her would cause him to grow emotional and would mess him up in battle, thus making him easier to kill and the priestess, Kagome would also lose strength considering that miko abilities were ruled by ones emotions, the loss of both her friends would cause her too much grief to be much more useful than what she once was before her training.

But still, killing the demon slayer was impossible with the ninja there….unless.

Unless he found a way for the Tajiya to kill herself. Indeed the death of her brother may just cause her the distress and grief nesesary to drive her to the brink of suicide and without her friends there to console her she may not recover or last long enough for them to reach her.

This happening in the ninja's presence would also discredit him, causing distrust amongst the group. Indeed this was good. He would succeed or he would fail, and failure only meant that he would lose Kohaku. The gain was well worth the risk, after all, the boys life held no true value to him.

He smirked as he stood. "Kohaku." He called and the boy appeared as he slid open the rice paper door. "I have a mission for you little Kohaku."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Late in the night as the animal Inuyasha and Naruto lay roasting over the fire, Shippou and Kirara were curled together in the sleeping bag, having eaten their fill. Kagome was joting down notes in her diary as Miroku slept a few feet away from her. Kagura and Inuyasha also slept in the tree tops. Inuyasha out of habit and Kagura due to the fact that she was closer to the wind that way.

But Sango still lay awake, sharpening her sword with a stone since Hiraikotsu was currently broken. Her eyes were ablaze with anger. In a way she felt betrayed by the group. She had seen the way they had conversed with her as they ate. Almost as if they had never been enemies. While Inuyasha and Miroku didn't act so much as friends they didn't exactly orchestrate her out either. Kagome, Naruto, Shippou and even Kirara however were all different stories.

Naruto she could understand. Him having only recently joined their group he didn't understand the hardships they had all gone through because of her. All the battles they had fought and the blood they had spilled because of her.

But for Kagome Shippou and even Kirara, the neko yokai she had since she was just a child to have showed her such acceptance felt as a betrayal in and of itself.

With hard eyes sparks flew as she traced the stone over the blade again.

"Now now why so angry?" She heard Naruto's voice. She turned her head and found him comfortably leaning against a tree just a few feet away.

She huffed angrily and turned away, indicating that she wanted to be left alone. Naruto looked at her for a few moments before he spoke. "If you wish to hate Sango, then hate, but do it for a proper reason. Do not hate one for crimes he or she did not commit. It just ends up being more painful for the both of them if that's the case."

"Just…just leave…you don't know anything about it." She said, her voice a harsh whisper as she did not wish to wake the others. But the fist clenching the stone and sword were clear indications of her anger and the salty smell of her tears indicated that she was struggling not to cry.

"Perhaps." He said before silently stalking off into the dim light the fire cast unto the camp.

Kagome watched the small exchange from behind the cover of her diary. It was clear that whatever had been said did not go very well.

Naruto stopped just a few feet away from the fire and he suddenly looked up. Kagome noticed this and followed his gaze.

Above them was the familiar sight of one of Kikyo's soul collectors.

Kagome's heart clenched painfully at the sight and her gaze immediately shifted to her hanyou companion. He was already rousing, soon he would be fully awake.

As expected the second Inuyasha's conscious mind kicked in, they only heard a whispered 'Kikyo' before he took off into the tree's after her.

Kagome once again felt the familiar twinge in her chest.

But then felt a comforting hand on her shoulder. She looked up and found Naruto giving her a reassuring smile from behind his face mask. His eyes were gentle and he gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze before he launched after the hanyou.

Curiosity getting the better of her Kagome followed, despite the fact that the end of this road may lead her to another painful witnessing of a moment between Inuyasha and Kikyo.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Moments later she was able to see them. It was a familiar sight. Inuyasha stood, looking at his long dead lover and she stood just a few feet away.

"Inuyasha." She said as she greeted him with the same cold, dead tone she always used. Her features were blank, no visible emotions marring them.

Inuyasha stepped forward, but that was as far as he got. Two neddles flew from the shadows of the forest and hit him in the neck. His head gave a small jerk and his eyes rolled to the back of his head, he hit the ground with a soft thud.

Kikyo and Kagome, who was watching from the treeline, each gave identical gasps of surprise and horror at the sight. Kagome was about to move forward when one of Naruto's shadow clones appeared infront of her and whispered. "He'll be fine, he's just unconscious." He said. Kagome didn't care at the moment and tried to move past him to get to Inuyasha. Naruto grabbed her showlder firmly and held her in place. "This must be said and you must hear it." He spoke rather cryptically before the clone vanished in a puff.

Kagome bit her lip hard as she was torn in her decision. In the end she decided to trust the ninja. He hadn't lied or given her any reason not to believe him and given his skills he could have killed Inuyasha and the rest of them whenever he damn well wanted to so she decided to trust him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kikyo moved forward and knelt beside Inuyasha in order to help him but a voice directly behind her made her stop in her tracks.

"There will be time for that later on Kikyo, but for now, your business is with me."

Kikyo turned and saw a ninja standing just before the tree line. Staring at her withblank blue eyes. She stood and notched an arrow in her bow. "What do you want assassin?" She spoke, her tone rather venomous.

Naruto smirked. "The truth."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Here ya go!


	17. Look underneath the underneath

Here we go again.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto stood facing the revived priestess. His gaze and features held their usual amused laziness while hers was her usual piercing coldness.

"What truth do you speak of?" She asked. The arrow she currently had notched in her bow glinted in the pale moonlight.

Naruto's eyes curved upwards in a smile before he absently turned and walked toward a nearby tree and touched its bark as if searching for something. "I had thought you dead again lady Kikyo, consumed by Naraku's miasma." It was more of a question than a statement.

The dead priestess narrowed her eyes at the ninja. "How do you know of that and what concern is it of yours?" She asked back.

"Ah ah ah I asked you first." He chided as he waged his finger from left to right, as if mocking her.

She narrowed her eyes at him and let her arrow fly. She would not indulge this foolish ninja's questions.

The pink light of her purification power cut through the darkness of the night and sailed toward its target.

To Kikyo's immense surprise however, her arrow did not pierce flesh and bone, but instead found itself easily held between two fingers from which smoke rose.

"Now, now, is that really necessary?" He chided again before dropping the arrow with a clatter of wood against earth. 'Now then, as I was saying, I'm curious as to how you survived." He said as he turned his attention to the tree again.

Kikyo narrowed her eyes at him, few people short of a mid level demon could catch an arrow with such ease. "I was attacked by Naraku in Mnt.Hakurei, true, but one as limited as he does not have the strength to kill me." She said.

"He seemed to have succeeded once already." Naruto said simply as he rolled his eyes to the side to meet hers, only to find hers narrowed even further in anger.

She quickly hid her anger at his comment and glared into his dull blues. "And how would one as yourself know of the events of that day. Unless one of Inuyasha's group told you, you'd have to be at least sixty to even remember that day?"

Kagome who was watching the events, from her place hidden amongst the trees, also grew suspicious. _'How, does he know that? I haven't heard him talking to Miroku, Sango or Shippou about it, he certainly hasn't asked me and Inuyasha never likes to talk about it. Could Kaede have told him?' _

"Ahh that's the million dollar question isn't it? How do I know?" He said cheerily as he rounded to face her fully. "Tell you what…I'll tell you how I know if you answer my question truthfully, how's that sound?" He asked with a waggle of his eyebrows. Almost as if he was playing with a child rather than a priestess, long dead.

She looked contemplative for a moment. This ninja seemed to know much of what he shouldn't. He seemed to know about her yet she knew nothing of him. She decided that whatever question he asked her wouldn't be so bad and figuring out just how he acquired the knowledge was worth whatever risk she would take indulging him.

She slowly nodded.

Naruto's smile widened slightly. "Good, good. Now my question to you is simple. Do you hate Inuyasha?"

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Why do you ask such a thing?"

"Ah ah ah I asked first." He said again. His childish nature was truly beginning to grate on her nerves. "Now, your answer please." He said, his eyes loosing some of their mirth and gaining a slightly serious edge, even though he still held his smile.

"Yes. I do." She answered simply, without seemingly any hesitation.

Naruto eyed her critically. He remained silent for a moment before he spoke again. "Now, now, didn't I say to answer the question truthfully?" He said with a raised eyebrow.

She remained expressionless and said nothing.

"So you choose to play the stoic." He said before he began walking around the clearing. "You want to know what I think, priestess?" He said as he rubbed his chin.

"Your foolish beliefs are no concern of mine. I've spoken the truth. If you choose not to believe so, that is your choice assassin."

"I think…" He continued on, ignoring her. "That you don't hate Inuyasha at all…" He turned his eyes onto her. "Isnt that right? Lady Kikyo." He said, this time, his eyes lost all traces of mirth and were now deadly serious.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Your opinion matters not, but I am curious as to how you arrived at such a ridiculous conclusion."

Naruto tilted his head to the side and raised his hands in an exasperated shrug. "Pure logic really. If you truly hated Inuyasha, like you say you do then why is it, that on the day you died, the day you bound him to the Goshimboku, the day when the emotions of hurt, raw betrayal and anger were flowing through you freely, all restrictions tossed to the wind…why didn't you just simply kill him then?"

Kagome, from her hidden location in the trees had to stifle a gasp at that. She had never thought of it that way. Indeed if Kikyo did hate Inuyasha like she said then she would have simply killed him outright the day Naraku had tricked them, instead she had sealed him away.

Her eyes widened by a fraction, the only indication of her shock at this statement. But she quickly recovered and masked her emotions and simply glared at him. "Fool, I simply did not have the strength to do so on that day." She said heatedly.

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Ohh, so you didn't have the strength to aim your arrow into his heart and kill him…but you did have the strength to cast as spell on an arrow that would seal him away until your reincarnation broke it."

Her grip on her bow tightened considerably, he was making her very uncomfortable, he noticed. I'm right, aren't I? You never did hate Inuyasha did you?"

"Be silent." She said harshly, her eyes were alight with anger. "You speak of things you know nothing of. You know nothing of me, I do hate that filthy Hanyou, with all of my being."

"Are you trying to convince me or yourself?" He asked.

She snapped her eyes towards his and glared. With the precision and speed of a professional she had another arrow in her bow. "I said be silent."

"When you were revived…" He continued. "Your soul was torn in two, between yourself and your reincarnation, Kagome. Kagome, not having any ill feelings within her and also having a rather strong will was able to take back her soul. You however, I imagine having still no knowledge over Narakus treachery and still believing that Inuyasha had betrayed you, felt the same emotions of betrayal, hurt and anger. Those emotions allowed you to keep at least that portion bof your soul, allowing you to continue amidst the living."

He paused.

"And so, you kept those emotions close at heart. At least until you discovered Naraku and how he lured you both into his trap. Then you found that you could no longer hold those feelings against him."

"Silence!" She said, just short of yelling in a second her arrow flew through the air again and with a grunt of pain was embedded into Naruto's right shoulder. He pulled it out without even a wince of pain. He threw the arrow to the forest floor and began approaching her.

"But you wanted to, didn't you? You wanted to blame him you wanted to hate him…no, you needed to hate him. In order to maintain the small bit of the soul you have left. But you couldn't could you?"

She said nothing.

"So the feeling of anger and betrayal were there no longer and the hurt was fading as well. But then you found something else to be hurt about didn't you? You found Kagome."

She fired again, making him lean to the side to avoid another arrow. "I am warning you. If you are not silent I will kill you."

"Why so angry Kikyo?" He asked as he continued his walk. "Lies and false opinions are easily brushed off. It's the truth that stings isn't it?" He said as he smirked. "So…Kagome then. You realized that Inuyasha was quickly gaining feelings for her didn't you. And so soon after he had learned you were dead too. And that hurt didn't it, It hurt every time you thought about it. A different kind of hurt true, but it was still enough of a negative emotion to maintain a decent hold on the portion of the soul you had control of."

He stopped when he was directly infront of her, her arrow was held firmly and the tip was just a few inches from his neck. She stared into his eyes, a flurry of emotions were visible in them and he stared back, his gaze was stone.

"But then it became harder and harder to maintain that emotion didn't it? Because eventually you didn't want to fell the hurt anymore. You didn't want to have to feel the pain. You wanted it to end didn't you? Because he still loved you, it was causing all three of you grief. And so, you sought a solution." He paused and stared at her for a brief moment before he continued.

"Since you couldn't hate him yourself, then you sought to have him hate you instead. That's why you gave Kagome's shards to Naraku and that's why you tried to kill Kagome. You want Inuyasha to hate you. Because if he does, then he wont love you anymore. He wont hurt Kagome and you anymore through his indecision. He chooses you, Kagome is hurt but has a chance to start over with another. He chooses her and you no longer have to feel hurt over the fact that he cannot decide between the two of you and it can end."

She stared at him with a fierceness that was hardly ever seen in her eyes. "I should kill you." Her voice was harsh and held more emotion than what was usually heard from her.

"If what I say isn't true, then by all means…" He said, indicating the arrow which was currently poised to go through his throat.

She held her weapon there for a few more seconds before she slowly shifted it to point to the ground and eased the tension on the bowstring. Before Naruto could say or do anything a swarm of her soul collectors decended upon them, their soft glow lighting the area. They began to lift her into the air in preparation to take her away.

Before she was out of earshot he yelled to her. "Kikyo! You can't run from the truth forever. And one day, the pain will become far to much." She didn't say anything, merely allowed her Saimioshu to carry her away.

Naruto sighed as she vanished and quietly moved and hoisted Inuyasha over his shoulder to carry him back to camp.

He walked over to the tree where Kagome was sitting, with silent tears falling down her cheeks. She had never truly understood Kikyo, if what Naruto had said that night was true then this added an entire new perspective to the dead priestess.

She looked up as a shadow fell over her head and found Naruto offering a hand to help her up. "Why did you want me to hear this?" She asked as she looked down.

"Because you deserve to…and I wanted you to know her reasons."

She remained quiet for a moment before she spoke again. "How do you know so much? You've barely been with us three months and already…you've been deciphering us breaking down all of our barriers and finding the heart of the matter. How could you have known so much about her?"

"Few people do things out of simple malice Kagome. They each always have a reason. Either for power, wealth, revenge But there always is a one. One reason, no matter how selfish, is still a reason. Few destroy just because they want to destroy."

"You sound like you've met someone who did."

Naruto paused. "Perhaps…" He stated simply.

"Then how can you be so sure you're right and she doesn't really hate Inuyasha?" She asked as she looked back up at him.

Naruto remained quiet for a few moments before he answered. "Because I…I have seen the face of hatred. I've witnessed it and experienced it in all its forms…her eyes hold no hate when they look upon him, or you for that mater…I know this…such is the life of a Jinchuuriki I suppose." He said, almost speaking to himself more than her.

"A what?"

He realized his mistake and immediately looked away. "Its nothing. Come on, lets head back." He said changing the subject as he turned to walk away.

She moved and caught his wrist firmly. "No wait! What was that word Naruto. Why wont you tell us anything about yourself."

He stayed quiet for a moment and didn't move a muscle. Slowly he turned his head and looked at her through the corner of his eye. 'Some things Kagome……some things are better left forgotten." He whispered before gently pulling his hand away from her grip and walking back towards the camp, with Inuyasha's unconscious form slung over his shoulder.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Hey guy's, been a while hasn't it?

I hope this wasn't too confusing for most people. I tried to explain why I felt that Kikyo didn't hate Inuyasha and why she does what she does in the Anime. This is simply my view of things, its hard to put into words. Like I said I hope it wasn't too confusing. If it was I may revise it later.

Please read and review


	18. Power of old

Here I am…Also, for the people wondering just when I'm going to update the strength of brothers or if I quit with it the answer is no I have not quit on it. It's just been really difficult to get a good start with the next chapter. That and I haven't really gotten inspired to do it yet. But like I always say, I'll never give up my fics ever. It will be updated…eventually.

Anyway lets get on with the story.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The next morning Inuyasha groaned as his mind returned to the conscious realm. What the hell happened. The last thing he remembered was……

Before he could think he felt two fingers go over his eyelids and pull them up. His eyes stung from the bright light, when they came into focus he could see Naruto's brightly smiling masked visage about two inches from his face. "SURPRISE!" He yelled making Inuyasha yell and jump slightly, losing his balance and crashing to the forest floor from his perch on the tree.

He let out a muffled groan of pain and lifted his head and found the rest of the group already breaking camp and packing everything._ 'What the hell? I'm the one who's usually up first." _He silently wondered from his place on the floor.

Naruto jumped infront of him and knelt down. "Since you seemed to be so tired we decided to let you rest. We're almost done and we'll be leaving soon."

Inuyasha didn't say anything as he stood. His head was throbbing and not just from the impact with the ground. Just what the hell had he done the other night? (Don't we all ask ourselves that question at least once)

Naruto straightened and turned back to camp in order to continue packing. He hoped Inuyasha's memory wouldn't return until he was far away from the camp. He didn't want to deal with the headache.

Kagome's aura was subdued and the events of the other day continued to play out in her mind over and over. The reasons for Kikyo's actions had shook her, more than what she even knew it. But the most glaring event was that single word. That one statement that had slipped from their blond companion. _'Such is the fate of a Jinchurriki I suppose.' _

She eyed him from the corner of her eye. Her logical (at least for the moment) mind already forming connections at a rapid pace. _'Jinchuuriki, at least that's what he called himself… its not like anything I've ever heard…but he is searching for a specific demon…maybe there's a connection.' _

With this thought in mind she silently picked up a bucket and turned to Sango. I'd like to go wash my face…Sango do you want to come?" She asked sweetly.

This was not a question. Whenever Kagome wanted to discuss something private with Sango and the luxury of hot springs wasn't around Kagome had developed this secret way of getting away from the men. So following proper protocol she nodded and smiled brightly at the other girl. "Sure Kagome."

"I'll come to!" Shippou said happily as he bounded up onto Kagome's shoulder.

Kagome thought for a moment before she smiled and nodded. Shippou being a demon may have some insight despite his relatively short life experience. And with his sharper hearing perhaps he could catch some more of Naruto's slip-ups.

As one the three left.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Allright what happened Kagome?" Sango said after they were relatively far from the camp.

Kagome sighed. "Well, last night I was…ummm…talking with Naruto and he may have let something slip about his past…"

At this both Shippou and Sango's ears seemed to twitch in her direction and they leaned in to hear more. It was no secret that the secret of Naruto's past was something that everyone was beginning to find highly irritating and everyone was starting to want answers.

"Ummm, since he was looking for information on some fox demon I thought maybe it would have had something to do with that. I was thinking that at the same time you and him went back to your village to fix your weapon Sango that when he went to go look for whatever he was gonna look for in the archives that you could look up the word he let slip."

Sango nodded. "Allright, but what was the word?"

"A Jinchuriki."

Sango nodded when Shippou spoke up. "I remember an old story or something my daddy told me once that had that word. But I don't know what it specifically means."

That got Kagome thinking. If it was an OLD story to a demon, then it must be OLD…perhaps one of the older demons they meet up with…like Koga or perhaps even Sesshomaru would know, but…asking the frigid Taiyokai for anything was not on Kagome's to-do list, especially considering that she would probably just get her head lobbed off in the process.

Then a sudden thought occurred to her. "Would Kagura know?"

The slayers face darkened considerably but she did not let her anger cloud her judgment. "Perhaps." She conceded tightly.

Kagome sighed. Sango's anger wasn't healthy. But still………she didn't have the guts to tell her that. As a matter of fact the only people she could even think of that would have the guts for that would be either Naruto or Sesshomaru…of course…the later would probably just beat her within an inch of her life or cleave her in half with Tokijin before even showing a hint of concern for any human other than that small child Rin that traveled with him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

As the three came back to camp it was Inuyasha and Naruto that were there, Kagura apparently wanting to make good time decided to leave as early as possible on her feather. Miroku, not wanting to have to walk over five hills and seven valleys along with god knows what else wanted to hitch a ride with her, even though he was visibly nervous as they took off. Weather it was from flying or from the fact that he was going to be alone with the wind demoness was unknown however.

"Feh, about time you got back." The dog Hanyou greeted, roughly.

Naruto sighed and waked him on the head with what appeared to be a light tap. Of course he had put chakra into it in order to form a very crude version of Tsunade's punch. While he didn't have the control for it, he most certainly had the concept. Focus all the chakra at one point and release it upon impact.

So what appeared to be a light tap sent Inuyasha clutching his head in pain.

Naruto then walked forward and smiled at Kagome. "Take care of one man army you two." He said as he spoke to Shippou and Kagome, referring to Inuyasha.

Kagome smiled, though it was rather subdued and nodded. Shippou smiled brightly at the blond and nodded cheerily.

Naruto smiled back and turned to Sango. "Well, shall we?" He said.

Sango nodded as Kirara bounded up to her shoulder. And together they began heading north-west.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The lord of the western lands was a patient demon lord when it came to certain matters and in others he wasn't patient.

One such example was the insolence of his Hanyou brother, another was anyone questioning his orders or doubting his strength.

One thing he did have patience for was the gathering of knowledge however. Indeed, when he was not out patrolling his lands or slaughtering a troublesome faction of rampaging demons the lord of the west would spend hours upon hours in his study.

His thousands upon thousands of scrolls and books gathered through the ages since the time his grandfather had founded the western lands to the rule and expansion brought on by his father Inu-no-Taicho all the way to his relatively recent rule.

Almost 4500 years of history was in his study. But each one of them had failed to give him the knowledge of whatever power that lone human had demonstrated that day on his borders.

Frustrated by the lack of knowledge Sesshomaru turned to the last place he was able.

To a being far older than any demon currently in existence, Believed to be slightly older than Totosai by just a few centuries but could in reality be far far older than that.

The ancient tree, Goshinki.

Sesshomaru highly respected this demon, not only for its ancient knowledge and experience but also for the simple fact that this lone being controlled far more power than that of most; for it was Goshinki's branches which now served as the sheathes of Tetsusaiga and Tensaiga.

The ancient tree's knowledge of the forest, its ability to listen to everything within the western lands and far beyond was to be respected and even feared at times. For knowledge and power of the mind was far greater than any weapon or physically powerful berserker.

As the dog demon approached the clearing where the ancient tree resided the leaves, vines and branches seemed to part for him, as if welcoming his visit.

**_'Ahhh, Sesshomaru…to what do I owe the visit?' _**The ancient tree spoke. His rough and dry, yet gentle voice seemed to roll all across the area.

Seshomaru narrowed his eyes at the ancient bark. "You will not address me so familiarly Goshinki, I am not as lenient as my father in such matters. You will address me with the proper respect."

**_'Ahh, of course, of course Lord Seshomaru. But still, I do not believe you have come here to merely inform me of your position as lord of the western lands.' _**

Sesshomaru growled low in displeasure he hated this ancients lack of respect. But the tree was useful at times and now was one of those times.

"Goshinki, do you know anything of the power a human recently demonstrated near the western lands?" He asked getting to the point.

**_"Ahhhhh, you mean the ancient one."_** Goshinki spoke making Sesshomaru's eyes narrow. "Ancient one?" Sesshomaru imitated as he raised a perfect eyebrow in the tree's direction.

**_'No I do not expect you to know anything of it. A pup such as yourself would be lucky to have even had a passing ear to any of the ancient tales.' _**

Sesshomaru growled at the insult. "Speak what is useful fool or I shall be on my way."

Goshinki's branches moved as if waving him off. **_'Of course of course Taiyokai.'_** He said as he gained his seriousness again.**_ 'I do not know what events have caused his arrival, but that human holds ancient power that was lost with the rising of the nine.' _**

Sesshomaru stiffened and glared at the tree. "Do you think me a fool, Goshinki the nine is nothing but a legend of the old. A fairytale to scare the younglings." He spoke heatedly.

**_'Believe it or not Sesshomaru, the nine did exist. I was but a small shrub during their rise back when humans that were just as powerful if not more so than any Taiyokai or hanyou of these times existed. With the rise of the nine the human kingdoms fell into ruin, their powers lost and their wills broken. The nine then faded back into the pages of history. Their offspring, their power diminished over the ages. Leaving you and other Taiyokai as the result. _**

Sesshomaru growled again as the edges of his eyes slowly bled into red. "How dare you insinuate that I am inferior to anyone you old fool. I will soon surpass even my father in strength.

Goshinki chuckled amusedly. **_'I only speak the truth, do you not find it odd that the nine, demons said to be worth a hundred Taiyokai were nigh invincible, beings that all demons supposedly descend from, why is it that there have not been any extremely powerful demons since? Your father, his true form was over five hundred feet high and yet you, who are also descended from a powerful dog demoness are only a mere fourty feet…The demon's blood is diminishing. Its power too stagnant without any counterbalance. As the humans grow weaker so do we. Simply because we do not have the need for such power. The nine did but once they killed off the ancients and their power they did not have a need for such destruction. Perhaps now, with the ancients revival and return we will see the demon blood rise again…but for now, you shall continue passing yourselves as the sad excuses that call themselves demons _**

Sesshomaru's eyes were alight with fury as he turned and stalked away from the ancient tree. "I will destroy this human, then we shall see who is the sad excuse, old fool."

**_"Be careful lord Sesshomaru, you may come out of that fight loosing much more than just your arm."_** The ancient tree chuckled amusedly **_"I bid you luck in your endeavor, Inu-no-Taicho" _**

He may have given the title with mock respect but the insinuation was there.

"You are not your father."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Well here ya go. I think I may have just gone a little OC with sesshomaru. But I honestly think that his pride is very big and he would not take an insult to it lightly. Read and review please, tell me what you thought


	19. Fall into despair

Here we go.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The sound of soft chuckling could be heard as Naruto and Sango walked down a worn dirt path that led to the demon slayers village.

And then Shippou dumped the entire bottle of salt in Inuyasha's eyes. It was so hilarious seeing Inuyasha screaming his head off as he ran around like a lunatic."

Naruto chuckled silently and Kirara purred with amusement from her perch on the slayers shoulder.

Yet the comfortable atmosphere shattered abruptly as they went over the next hill and the remains of the slayers village came into view.

Sango's eyes immediately clouded with sadness and her form slumped slightly.

Naruto as well, felt a slight feeling of nostalgia. It was so similar. Both of their pains came from…from this. He felt as if he was back in the burning remnants of his village. Nothing more than smoke, ash and charred remains with which to burry the memories of those he once loved.

He sighed and once again his mask came to his defense. He turned to Sango and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Are you allright?"

She took a deep breath and nodded solemnly. "Yeah its just…it doesn't really go away, you know?"

Naruto nodded and tore his gaze away. If she only knew.

He stepped forward and made his way towards the village. Sango stood for a few more seconds before slowly following.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was several hours later when Sango finally deemed her weapon sufficiently repaired for the night. It wasn't perfect but she had been working since they had arrived and she was tired and sweaty from working in the forge.

Naruto had offered to help her but these were secrets that were passed on from one demon slayer to another not something for outsiders to learn, even though…there may not be a next generation of demon slayers.

She sighed as she took the Hiraikotsu and placed it on a rack on the wall. She would put the finishing touches on the thing tomorrow.

She looked out and noticed that the sun was now going down. She looked alarmed, she had been there for more than half the day and had left Naruto alone in an empty village with nothing to do. She hadn't even showed him the archives so she could actually see what he was looking for.

She immediately walked out of the hut that housed the forge works and found Kirara in her full demon form laying across the porch resting. One of her cat ears twitched as the neko heard Sango's arrival and a single lazy eye opened to look upon the demon slayer.

Sango smiled down at her long time partner and spoke. "Kirara where is Naruto?"

The Fire cat pointed one of her tails off behind a few huts. Sango smiled and nodded before walking off in the direction the cat indicated.

It was after a few seconds that Sango noticed that Kirara had pointed to the graveyard. She began feeling slightly queasy as she approached the area. She began wondering if Naruto had gone to pay his respects to the dead. The thought surprised her. Few people passed through a decimated village and paid their respects to the dead. Infact, few even bothered to burry them let alone pray for them.

When she finally caught sight of the blond she could see him kneeling before the graves and praying. Just as he detected her presence he ceased his prayers andstood as he turned to face her with a small sad smile on his face. "It is not much, but…"

She immediately interrupted him. "No no, Thank you for the thought. She looked saddened for a moment before she shook her head and smiled at him. "I'm finished for today. I was thinking that perhaps we could go to the archives and search for the demon you wanted to look up.

Naruto looked towards the setting sun before he spoke again. "Are you sure, I don't mind waiting until tomorrow if you wish to rest."

She shook her head. "No, no if we do it today we can get a good start early tomorrow morning."

Naruto shrugged. "Allright, whatever you say."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was only a few minutes later the two of them found themselves walking down a dark corridor hat led to the demon slayers archives.

Naruto eyed the demon slayer walking beside him and soon spoke. "Sango, may I ask you something?"

"You just did." She said back rather playfully as she turned and gave him a small smirk.

Naruto raised an eyebrow at her sly coment and offered a smirk of his own "Well then, I'll ask you something else then."

She nodded and looked on ahead. "Go on."

He seemed contemplative for a moment before he spoke. "How…how did you cope with it. The death of all your loved ones. Is it the simple drive of revenge that helps you keep on going?" He asked as he placed his eyes back on her form.

Sango stopped walking and looked down to the floor while biting her lower lip in thought. Her bangs covered her eyes and for a moment Naruto thought he may have intruded on something a bit too personal.

After a few seconds though Sango spoke again. "It…it was really hard at first, you know? Even when I wanted revenge, first on Inuyasha and then on Naraku…I sometimes…I just felt like…

'_Like you wanted to give it up.' _He finished in his mind but said nothing and let her continue.

"But then…then I found out Kohaku was still alive." She smiled sadly at that. "Now, I…I have hope again. As long as Kohaku is alive and there's a chance of him being rescued, I think I can go on. At least for him…so that he doesn't have to go through what I went through. When I thought I was the last, you know?"

Naruto nodded and smiled gently at her.

Sango then shook her head to push the sad thoughts away. "Anyway, lets just find what you came to look for."

Naruto nodded and they continued to make their way inside.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Have you found it yet?" Sango asked from her place near the entrance.

Naruto gave a simple 'Hn' as he continued searching through scrolls on ancient fox demons. Many of them had just pissed off a lord or two for stealing heirlooms and stuff of that nature, others had just pissed off a few villages. None could truly come even close to the being that he was looking for.

But still, the slayers archives were impressive, the cave chamber they were in now was about fifty feet in diameter and about seventy feet high with dozens of scrolls stacked one ontop of the other in an organized fashion. The most recent demons were near the entrance and the oldest ones were deeper in.

They had everything from dogs to wolves to snakes, foxes dragons, spiders and an innumerable amount of other demonic specimens.

He sighed and was about to give up when an old, worn dusty scroll placed in the back, in a corner caught his eye. It was definitely old, probably the oldest one here.

He reached in and grabbed it. He coughed as the movement picked up dust and threw it right in his face.

Sango noticed this and immediately walked over. "Found anything?"

Naruto shrugged and began unrolling the scroll, "Lets see."

He unrolled the ancient text, picking up more dust.

The kanji were blurred and worn from the moisture and time but were slightly legible.

_Nine-nine beasts with ulim-power-Bri-eath-estruction- The end of all things._

Well that answered his question. It was definitely what he was looking for, but the Kanji were to worn to be read correctly.

He unrolled the scroll some more where he came across a painting, he immediately recognized two of the beasts portrayed in it. Shukaku and Kyuubi.

They were arranged in a circle with Kyuubi's form in the center. Each had their own background but Kyuubi's was the most curious. A forest in flames…how…accurate.

He sighed and rolled it back up before placing it back where he found it.

He stood and smiled to Sango, who was looking at the scroll curiously. 'Well, I couldn't find anything, thanks for helping Sango.

She smiled at him and nodded. "You go on ahead I want to look up something."

Naruto shrugged and walked away.

Sango waited until he was gone before she moved and picked up the scroll he had previously been reading. She unrolled it fully and scanned context.

She immediately noticed the fox demon with nine tails in the center of the portrait inside the scroll. She looked on and one Kanji immediately caught her eye.

'_Jinchurikki' _It was one of the few words that were clearly legible on the scroll, but nevertheless it was there.

She narrowed her eyes in thought. If this was any indication then this was indeed the scroll that Naruto had been looking for. But why would he say differently? She looked back at the nine tailed fox in the picture and immediately knew that there was some form of connection here.

She looked back to where it said Jinchuriki and tried to read the broken text.

'_-Jinchuriki only o-th---stop—nine.'_

Well it wasn't perfect but it more or less gave her an idea. The Jinchuriki were supposedly the only ones that could beat these creatures. So, could Naruto be looking for this creature to defeat it? It was a rational thought considering he was so powerful. Aybe she should take this to Kagome, maybe some one in her time could find a way to read this.

She silently rolled up the scroll and pocketed it, out of sight from the blond.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The two made there way back to the village in a comfortable silence each pondering their own thoughts.

But that was interrupted as Naruto's sharp sense of smell picked up a rather alarming scent…blood.

"Sango hurry up Kirara's in trouble!!!" He yelled before sprinting off to the village.

Sango was thrown into shock for a brief moment before she began running as well, all the while praying that Kirara was allright.

Naruto was obviously the first to reach the village and found Kirara sprawled on the ground with a huge gash running across her right shoulder blade all the way down to her left hind leg. Blood caked her normally porcelain fur and her normally bright red eyes were dilated and unfocussed. She was alive but was going to need some serious medical attention and for the bleeding to stop.

Naruto, not being anything close enough to a medic to heal this properly, did the only thing he could think of.

He took out a kunai and with a small fire jutsu heated up the weapon and slowly cauterized the injury. Kirara hissed and growled in pain and he had to use two shadow clones to keep her from thrashing around in her unconscious state.

Just as he had finished Sango arrived and skidded to a kneeling position next to them. "What happened?" She asked anxiously as she began checking Kirara over.

'I don't know, I found her like this. I managed to stop the bleeding So she should be allright for now, if there isn't any internal bleeding. Go and grab your weapon, whoever did this might still be around."

Sango nodded and with a final concerned glance towards Kirara she rushed to go and get her gear.

Naruto stood and extended his senses to try and find whoever had done this and immediately felt it. No…he felt two presences. One was unmistakably Naraku but the other was one he didn't recognize. So it wasn't one of his detachments.

A few moments later Sango came out with her weapon in hand and her armor already in place.

Naruto nodded and pointed to where he had sensed their opponents. "They're over there."

She nodded and together they sprinted toward their destination.

It was only a few seconds later when the two came across a sight that made Sango's blood run cold.

It was Naraku, holding up her younger brother Kohaku, by his throat. The younger boy was struggling against his grip but it was futile.

The dark Hanyou smiled cruelly in their direction. "Ahh, Sango so glad you could join us." His eyes darkened at the sight of the blond however but the smirk never left his face. "And I see that you are here as well."

Naruto's features for once were cold and impassive. His mind was running a mile a minute trying to figure out just what the hanyou hopped to gain through this.

Naraku smirked and tightened his grip on Kohaku's throat. "Well Sango, you see, your brother has outlived his usefulness now that his memories have returned to him. And so, I have a proposition for you my dear."

Naruto noticed how her grip seemed to tighten on the Hiraikotsu indicating her anger and desperation.

Naraku continued after a few moments of tense silence. "The rules are quite simple, you have two minutes to save your precious brother, should you fail, I will kill him, should you succeed then he will live, simple correct?" He smirked that condescending smirk of his. "Oh and there's just one more condition. The ninja cannot interfere."

Naruto tensed. This was a trap and he could see that from about ten miles away with a blindfold on. He was setting her up for a fall that would drive her to the brink of her sanity.

Sango however didn't think of such things and with speed that surprised Naruto her Hiraikotsu was sailing through the air aiming to chop off Naraku's arm.

The cruel demon smirked before he leapt back to avoid the weapon.

Sango drew five shuriken and tossed them at the hanyou.

Naraku's smirk darkened before he did the last thing Sango and even Naruto expected.

He put Kohaku in the way of the projectiles.

The young boy let out a strangled cry as the sharp objects dug into his right shoulder and another in his hip and the last just beneath his ribs. Tears leaked from his eyes as he turned them to meet Sango. "Sister." He gasped softly as he struggled for breath as Naraku held his throat.

Naruto gritted his teeth and made to take a step forward when he noticed Naraku's cold red eyes turn to him. The dark Hanyou gave a smirk that seemed to say 'Just try it.'

Naruto's glare darkened considerably and he promised himself one thing…this bastard was going to pay.

Sango lost some of her strength at the sight of her brothers anguish and the fact that he had called her sister in a way that seemed to ask _'Why?'_

But with a shake of her head she steeled her resolve and with a soft ring her sword was unsheathed. She rushed at Naraku and caught the Hiraikotsu mid stride as it came back to her.

Naraku smirked coldly again and sent some of his tentacles to attack the approaching tajiya.

Sango sidestepped the attack and continued her charge, when she was right infront of Naraku she dug her left foot into the dirt and with a diagonal upwards swing from right to left, moved to slice Naraku's throat open.

With that same smirk plastered on his face the hanyou stepped back and once again put Kohaku in the path of her strike. Sango tried to stop but she was moving far to fast and with a sickening slice the sword bit deep into Kohaku's side.

The boy let out a strangled yell and before Sango could react Naraku roughly pulled him away, causing the blade to cause even more pain and damage to the young boy.

Sango felt tears of rage and sadness well up in her eyes and trail down her cheeks. This being was truly heartless.

Naruto desperately wanted to move but with Naraku's eyes on him e couldn't even afford to make hand seals for a shadow clone.

The dark Hanyou smirked and leaned to the side to avoid the Hiraikotsu. He then took to the skies, a cloud of Miasma at his feet. "Time's up my dear Sango." He spoke in a condescending tone of voice.

Sango's breath became ragged and came in short hard pants. Her anger, herb desperation was almost a palpable thing. She caught the Hiraikotsu again and with a mighty swing in which she poured all of her anger, her sadness, her desperation, her drive. She put everything in it.

The Hiraikotsu sailed through the air but with a casual shrug Naraku floated slightly to the side, avoiding it completely.

"You failed _demon slayer._" He said mockingly. He turned his head slightly to the side and saw the Hiraikotsu coming back around. He smirked. _How fitting' _

Naruto and Sango both gasped in horror as Naraku tossed Kohaku in the path of the massive boomerang with a casual flick of his wrist.

'_NO!!!'_

'_Damnit! From that height I don't think I can make it in time.'_ Naruto thought as he rushed forward in a last ditch effort to save the young boy.

It was all for naught however as with a sickening crunch and crack the Hiraikotsu slammed into Kohaku's back and sent him crashing to the ground below.

"KOHAKU!!!" Sango cried out as she ran towards her fallen brother.

Naruto landed on the ground and turned to glare at the smirking parasite. His eyes were as sharp as daggers and promised pure pain to the heartless monster.

"Kohaku!" Sango cried as she knelt next to him and turned him over, to notice that he was still alive his breathing was extremely laboured and he was barely hanging on. "Kohaku, please don't die, I'll heal you just…just…please don't die." She sobbed as tears came down unbidden.

Kohaku's next words however, would shatter her. "Sister…he rasped out…why…why did you…let him kill me?" He whispered hoarsely before life left him.

Naruto winced as he caught the words with his sharp sense of hearing and immediately noticed a Shikon shard, tainted to the point where it was almost black zip toward Naraku. The hanyou gave off a smirk before he vanished in a cloud of purple miasma. It was then that Naruto knew beyond doubt that Naraku had come here to break Sango. Kohaku was still under his control the whole time, now he just had to convince Sango of that fact.

Sango's features were in absolute horror. Kohaku's last words echoing in her mind. Tears trailed freely down her cheeks and her form shook violently.

She felt a hand her shoulder and shakily looked up to find Naruto using an expression that was sad yet somewhat…understanding?

She sobbed and her form shook more, Naruto silently knelt down and wrapped her in a gentle, comforting embrace.

That was all it took for the little remaining walls around her emotions to crumble and she cried.

She cried hysterically and all the pent up emotions she had stored within her came forth in terrible, heart wrenching sobs.

Naruto held her gently, rocking her back and forth as she sobbed and shook in his arms. "Go on Sango. Cry all you want. No one will fault you on this day."

She cried well into the night and when she was done Naruto silently carried her back to her home and then prepared Kohaku's grave.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto sighed as he covered the grave and gave the young boy a silent prayer. He had to find a way to help Sango now, if he didn't she may take her own life, from either guilt because of Kohaku's last words or despair because of his death.

He then felt another presence and stiffened. He slowly looked to the treeline of the nearby forest when he saw the feudal version of Uchiha Itachi emerged from the darkness of the trees. Clad all in white it could only be the Taiyokai of the west.

"Sesshomaru." He said as he narrowed his eyes.

Somehow he doubted the demon lord came to enjoy tea.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Well, here you go. Tell me what you think.


	20. Taiyokai of the West

Ahem, I'm back.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto wiped his hands from the grave soil as he stood, straightening his Anbu armor and wiping the sweat off his brow before he began walking to meet the demon lord.

He placed his hands in his pockets and walked forward, thinking of any and all tricks he could pull out of his bag of tricks if the situation got too out of hand.

Truly, facing the demon lord was not something he really wanted to do. The Taiyokai, was powerful, and had a sharp mind. A dangerous and in this case, very very deadly combination. In all honesty he wasn't sure if he could win. Facing Inuyasha's group, was a far cry in comparison to him.

Even though Naruto really had no fear of death, his worry was for the demon slayer that currently rested. Kohaku's death alone may drive her to the brink of suicide. His death, coming so soon after his, may just be enough of a shock to drive her over the edge.

If he died, he doubted it would affect the Inu group for long. They may be saddened, but because he was relatively new to the group, he was certain they'd get over it. Sango however was an entirely different story.

If she died the team would falter and Inuyasha's way of mourning or burying his emotions so he wouldn't have to deal with them. Which was lashing out at everyone and keeping himself active, in other words rushing everyone to hunt shards wouldn't help the situation.

'_Hn……I suppose I had better not die yet eh?' _

Sesshomaru watched at the seemingly ordinary being began walking forward. It baffled him, even so close he could only faintly detect the underlying power he carried. He was no fool. This person, even if he was not as powerful as he possessed skills that were a complete mystery to him that provided him a definite edge.

Naruto's eyes widened in alarm as he saw the demon's only arm grasp the hilt of Tokijin.

Before he could do much else other than take out two kunai the Taiyokai, rushed forward, his after images trailing behind him.

Naruto acted on instinct, his time in the war with Oto showing through as he put both kunai on a direct intercept path with Tokijin. The blades met with an audible clang. Naruto felt his eyes widen even further as tokijin pulsed a fierce blue before Sesshomaru's yoki exploded forth.

Sesshomaru looked at the dirt in front of him, now no more than mud and ashes. _'Is this it?'_ He mentally sneered.

His senses were able to pick up the faint whizzing sound of a kunai, he leaned to the side, barely dodging as it grazed his cheek.

He turned around and found Naruto, his armor and mask were shredded to mere rags that barely clung to him, not even the Kawarimi was able to help him fully escape the alleged 'dragon blast' the attack that could match the wind scar. He ripped off his facemask, revealing the whiskered features to another for the first time in over seven months. His eyes were sharp and cold as ice as he stared at the Taiyokai.

Sesshomaru, elegantly turned and settled his sword in a comfortable stance. The demon didn't answer before he rushed forward again. Naruto leapt back as he reappeared with a swing to where he had previously been standing.

Sesshomaru moved to leap at him but when he saw the blond begin to make the same strange hand signals he had seen beforehand during the battle near the western lands he held back. **"Katon: Ryuuka no jutsu!" **The blond yelled as he fired several decent sized fireballs at the Taiyokai.

Seshomaru's eyes widened by a margin, the only action that showed his surprise at this attack.

Nevertheless he moved with grace and precision as he glided his way through the fireballs and toward the blond that was still in mid air.

Naruto's eyes widened as he saw Sesshomaru coming at him, he narrowed his eyes and reared back his hand and a rasengan was soon formed, its flickering blue light shining brightly.

Sesshomaru was already moving too fast to stop and knew that this attack, just by the look of it may just cripple even one such as himself with a single blow. Since he couldn't stop, or shift to the side, he placed Tokijin in front of him as a form of a shield, with his Yoki pulsing through it to make sure it didn't break under this attack.

Naruto yelled as he slammed the rasengan right into Tokijin, yoki and chakra clashed, shockwaves that sent bits and pieces of energy tearing into the landscape around them, deep lacerations and jagged chunks of earth rose as the attacks raged on. With a final shockwave from the rasengan, Sesshomaru was sent back down to earth while a pulse from Tokijin, cut deep, terrible cuts as if done by a blunt knife up Naruto's forearm.

Naruto hissed slightly and then felt his chakra form and focus itself on the injuries, healing them subconsciously.

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at this, an enemy that could heal any injury so rapidly was a formidable opponent indeed. He healed at an accelerated rate but this…was nothing short of regeneration.

The blonds mind was working to find a reason for this. Only two presented themselves.

One he thought him a threat.

Or

'_He's testing himself.' _The blond thought to himself with a slight narrowing of his eyes. This guy……was reminding him way to much of Itachi and…that…was…not…a…good…thing.

Before he could contemplate it further Sesshomaru raised Tokijin into the air and came down with a sweeping motion. In seconds, blue waves of energy tore through the landscape heading straight for him.

"**Doton: Doryuheki!" **He said as he slammed both palms on the ground. A wall of earth came in between himself and the blue energy. He raised an arm to shield his eyes as the earth wall exploded.

Sesshomaru watched the dust cloud with wariness, he had seen the earth rise to defend the ninja. Could that be his power? Control over the elements?

Before he could contemplate it however he saw four of the blonds emerge from the dust cloud. He stiffened. What was this? These techniques would take any demon decades to master. Control of the elements was all but unheard of and illusionist who could fool even his senses by giving each of these copies a scent, as well as an aura and sound as their foots hit the earth, such a mastery of illusion was almost unseen by anyone other than the heads of Kitsune families.

Yet many of those had lived hundreds of years, and possessed knowledge and experience far beyond that of mortal men.

How is it then, that this one can make illusions far more effective than even those beings.

The four ninja's blurred into existence, surrounding him. He eyed them cautiously as he shifted is weight to his right leg, ready to spring on a moments notice.

The real Naruto formed his hand seals and slammed his hands on the ground. **"Doton Yomi Numa" **He yelled and in seconds the earth was a swampy mud pit that went up to their ankles, in which Sesshomaru found he could barely move.

The other Naruto clones formed their own hand seals.

"**Katon; Karyuu Endan"**

"**Suiton Suryuudan no jutsu"**

"**Doton Doryuudan"**

Sesshomaru watched in fascination as the four dragons, of earth, fire and water seemed to form by the ninjas will and charge at him from three different directions. He absently noted that the copies hand vanished, their energy no doubt used to create this attack.

His mind worked at a fast pace trying to find a way to escape this situation. The best way would be to leap up, but with this strange, mud on his feet he could barely move. His eyes shifted to the fire dragon that was coming at him and heard cracks and pops in the earth as the mud hardened due to the heat.

'_That's it.' _He thought before pouring his acidic/poisonous yoki to the earth surrounding his feet. The mud hardened and with a forceful leap, Sesshomaru was free.

Naruto was definitely surprised by this, no one was able to escape the Yomi Numa before so quickly, at least, not while fighting him.

Sesshomaru ignored the flying rubble and debris as the three dragons crashed into each other and shot forward, his after images blurring and distorting his movements.

Naruto, not expecting the demon lords escape, much less the attack wasn't able to do much more than shift his position so as not to hit anything vital, before tokijin was run right through his chest.

He gasped and coughed up blood the thick red liquid falling to their feet.

Sesshomaru stared at the human with a blank expression. "Is this the power of the so called ancient?"

Naruto chuckled, even though the action caused him pain.

Sesshomaru thought the human was insane, but then felt a swift arm snake around his neck and tighten painfully, nearly cutting off his oxygen.

He craned his neck back and found another of the copies with the bright blue ball of energy in his palm. He moved to pull out tokijin and swipe when the real Naruto grasped his arm and held it there.

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes, how he hated Inuyasha. If he had another arm he could most likely escape this situation.

Naruto chuckled hoarsely. "Well then, now we find ourselves in a peculiar situation don't we Sesshomaru."

The Dog demon narrowed his eyes at the human.

"I don't know why you came here and quite frankly, I don't care. You are a useful albeit unwilling ally in the fight against Naraku. So whatever your reasons, lets call it a draw for tonight, and if you want, after Naraku is defeated we can have our fight to the death."

He paused.

'Or…you can push your Yoki into Tokijin, killing me and my clone slams that nice blue ball of energy into your side, which will most likely shred your lungs and plenty of major arteries to little bits. Somehow, I doubt that even you would survive that.

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed further, to be forced to compromise with a human…it was insulting…and yet…he felt some semblance of respect for this one.

He then found something quite peculiar. _'His scent carries no fear.'_

Demonic gold met tranquil blue for several moments before Sesshomaru pulled the blade out with a slicing sound. The real Naruto clutched his bleeding injury, that was already beginning to heal. He watched the Taiyokai warily, when Sesshomaru, sheathed his blade he dispelled his clone.

They locked gazes again for a few moments before Sesshomaru turned and left, without so much as a backwards glance.

Naruto waited until the Taiyokai was well out of his vision before he collapsed, clutching his chest. He had miscalculated, the strike had hit his left lung. His chakra, may know how to heal it but it was taking very very long in comparison to what Kyuubi would have been able to accomplish.

He picked himself up and walked over to a nearby tree and sat down with his back leaning against it. He would wait until it was healed then he would go find some new clothes and then he would go to Sango.

His eyes slowly got heavier and heavier, until he slowly drifted off.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A lizard Yokai that had watched the entire scene chuckled in amusement as he watched the strange yet powerful human fall asleep near the tree due to the phermones he had sent into the air. _'Yessssss.' _It hissed. _'I eat this human and I get its power, then I find more like him and become most powerful.' _Its chuckling was a disgusting hiss of a sound.

"Excuse me." The lizard heard behind him.

He turned his head and was only able to catch a faint flicker of red before a flash of claws…then nothing.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sango lay huddled on the Tatami mat in her hut The shadows of the room, outlined by pale moonlight, her hair, drenched in sweat, her eyes pink and puffy from tears. Everything hurt so much, Kohaku's last words echoing in her mind, each driving another nail into her already wounded heart.

'_Sister…why did you kill me?'_

Her eyes traveled to the glinting kunai knife, that lay on the floor.

Her mind was numb, her eyes were blank and her soul was already dead.

She gripped the handle.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto awoke with a start and got to his feet fast as he noticed something.

He was fully clothed.

His mask, his armor, everything was as if he never fought with the demon lord. He thought for a brief moment that the encounter had been nothing more than a dream when he caught sight of the definitely changed landscape due to the battle.

He stared at the fingerless gloves on his hands for several moments before another, scent, one that sent his heart into his stomach reached him.

Blood…

Sango's blood.

'_Oh no.'_

He rushed off in a blur of yellow and black and in seconds he arrived at Sango's hut. What he saw made his heart drop even further.

"No." He whispered as the shadows seemed to grow much darker even as red stained the floor.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Here you go tell me your thoughts


	21. A cruel kindness

Here I am.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The sun slowly rose over the mountains that covered the landscape over feudal Japan. Its golden visage rose to the sky and warm rays of light blanketed over the now destroyed village of the demon slayers.

The sounds of birds chirping and the smell of the warm misty morning air all gave way into a scene of peaceful harmony.

However, within the village, one lone Shinobi was watching over the near dead form of the last of the demon slayers . His eyes shown sadness and pity toward her. Yet there was something more, a deep, almost undetectable understanding lay in his eyes.

He sighed as Kirara, in her smaller form mew'ed sadly as she sat down next to her master. She looked up at him with those big red eyes that seemed to show confusion almost as if she was asking why.

He sighed sadly as he stood, grabbing a bucket to go get some water down the stream. He didn't have the answers for the small cat. No, he should rephrase…he did not want to give her the answers. For they reminded him too much of his own heart.

Before he reached the exit he heard a faint groan come from his patient. He sighed, this was a confrontation he wasn't sure he was ready for.

He turned and kneeled at her side watching as her eyes slowly fluttered open.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Her eyes stung horribly, her whole body felt weak and numb, for a moment she felt as if this was death. The escape she had sought to end her pain. But those thoughts vanished when she oppened her eyes and the masked visage of one Uzumaki Naruto registered in her mind, looking down at her with those deep blue eyes that seemed to reflect the world in them.

Desperation was the first emotion that came to her and tears immediately formed in her eyes as realization dawned on her. "No." She whispered hoarsely. Her sobs of misery, sadness and anger came forth and echoed through the small hut.

She moved at speeds that surprised the blond, not expecting her to have such ability in her weakened state. She tackled him to the ground, her fists weakly beating against his chest. "Why?" She sobbed "Why? Why couldn't you grant me this?"

Her tears and cries, tore into him, he knew this feeling. This anger. He had felt it, if only for the briefest of moments toward Sakura. Why did she ask him to continue? To live on.

And now this same feeling was being directed at him.

He didn't say anything, merely wrapped his arms around her in a comforting embrace. She resisted, if only slightly before she finally broke, crying and sobbing against him. Her tears soaking the front of his armor.

He sighed, in truth, even he himself wondered if saving her had been a cruel kindness. But still, even if this did sound cold, there was more than her emotions at stake, her life was an important instrument that kept the Inu group together. Even though some part of him said that he was cursing her with pain, the other argued that it was necessary.

He slowly raised himself up, bringing her with him. He pulled back so he could face her. Her soft brown eyes almost begging for an explanation.

He looked down, averting his eyes. "Sango." He began. "I know, that nothing I can say or do will take the pain away, but I will say this. Will, killing yourself bring Kohaku back?"

She sobbed her form shaking 'It hurts so much. I just want it to go away." She said, it was almost as if she had become a child again, No longer the proud, stubborn demon slayer that would stand against the tides of Naraku's evil. Just a human being, who's grief and pain had overcome her.

He ran a hand through her hair. 'I know, Sango, I know, but…Are you truly willing, to let your family go un-avenged, will you let Naraku claim victory today?" He said softly and saw some of the former spark return to her eyes.

She looked away, tears still came but the sobs had ceased. "I…I have nothing left now…Kohaku's dead…he…he was my reason…he was why I kept going."

Naruto felt a stab of anger, something he had not felt for quite a long time. He grabbed her by her shoulders and with one movement that seemed unaffected by her weight he stood, raising her up with him.

She was startled, she shifted her eyes to meet his and froze, the once calm blue was now a pit of cold ice. "You still have your friends don't you? Or don't they count? Have you been traveling with dolls? Because I see human beings that consider you family, who wish to be your family? Obviously you don't feel the same."

Her fear abated and her temper flared. She pushed him back with surprising force, placing a hand against the wall to steady her weakened body. "What would you know about it?" She asked harshly. "You stand there preaching to me as if you're god. As if my pain is insignificant. As if I should simply get over it. What the hell do you know about being the last of your family, of watching them all die before your eyes. WHAT THE HELL MAKES YOU THINK YOU HAVE ANY RIGHT TO LECTURE ME!!!!?" She yelled at him her bangs going infront of her face as tears returned again.

She glared at him her breaths coming in heaves as her anger came through. His next action though made her all the more infuriated.

He smiled.

The bastard was smiling. She wanted to just go over and punch him square in the face. Just to knock that smile off his face.

His next words however stopped her dead.

"Because Sango. Everyone I ever loved…is already dead." He whispered before turning to walk out. He stopped just before he exited and tossed a kunai at her feet. "I wont force you Sango. But I think that…maybe your family would want you to live your life even if it hurts to do so.

With those words, he left, not once looking back.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Several hours later Naruto found himself sitting on the roof of one of the huts as the sun went down, Sango had remained inside, alone for the entire day. He still did not detect the scent of blood, so she had not yet committed the act, most likely she was thinking of her life and everything that had led to this. Reviewing her emotions.

That confrontation had opened sealed wounds.

He sighed things would be so much easier if…

His thoughts were interrupted at the sound of footsteps. He turned and saw Sango walk out of the hut. She looked up to him, sitting on the roof. They locked gazes for a long while as if reading eachother.

She raised her hand and threw the kunai. Naruto caught it. "Just tell me one thing." She said. "Does it ever go away?"

He stared at her long and hard and she returned his gaze without faltering. After several minutes he spoke. "Perhaps."

She cast her gaze downward and walked back inside.

Naruto sighed. They had been held up for three days, no doubt the group was on their way. Hopefully by then Sango would have returned to her normal state of mind. Because after they regrouped, they were going after Naraku.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Short I know, but hey, I update regularly. Next chapter will finally be the confrontation with Naraku and I have a surprise for you all.

Hehehehehe also this chapter was just to basically cover Sango and her feelings on Kohaku's death. I'm not sure if it was good but I hope so.

Also, I might _might_ start a new story again. So if I do look out for it, I'm still indecisive as to weather or not I should start another since I have so many already.


	22. A reintroduction

Here I am again.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The sky was bathed in a dark, deep purple. It had slowly changed from clear blue of spring and was now this dark abyss of miasma and death that seemed to permeate the land.

Naraku was gathering his strength for the coming confrontation Naruto realized. He always did before any major confrontation, but this was different…

This time the very air seemed to ooze miasma, Naraku, it appeared was going to take this fight quite seriously the blond Shinobi noted as he absently flexed his hand as he stared at the dark castle that was just at the edges of his sharp sight. _'Perhaps this will be it…' _He mused.

He turned as he heard footsteps coming from behind him and found Kagura shifting from foot to foot rather nervously. Her eyes fixed on the dark lair in the distance. "The food is cooked." She mumbled as she diverted her gaze.

Naruto nodded and turned back to peer off in thought. The wind demoness, despite the fact that she now had a proper weapon was still dead nervous about facing her previous enslaver in battle, not entirely unexpected really. "Thanks but I'm not hungry right now, tell the others I'll stay here for a while."

She nodded and turned to walk away again.

'_Perhaps this time.' _He repeated quietly in his mind as he heard the heavens rumble with thunder.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sango watched the dancing fire as it cackled merrily in the center of the camp even in the midst of the great darkness they were near. Her mind was clouded, the pain of Kohaku's passing and the pain that came with the fact that she was now truly the last demon slayer were reduced to a dull ache in her chest.

The others of the group had noticed her somber and reserved demeanor and had questioned her and Naruto on what had happened. Naruto had looked at her with those icy blues that seemed to show some form of reflection in them. He simply shook his head and spoke. '_It is not my choice to tell you.'_ He had turned to look at her. _'It is hers.'_

They had asked her. After a few minutes of questions she had revealed that Naraku had killed Kohaku infront of her. It wasn't the whole truth but it had satisfied them. Kagome, Shippou and Miroku had hugged her, the last not adding his patented grope.

Inuyasha and even Kagura had shown some forms of compassion towards her. The former with a few soft spoken words that basically translated into a 'Sorry for your loss' and the latter through some discrete glances with a hint of compassion in them. She had tried to hide them but Sango, even in her lethargic state of mind had seen them.

Her anger at the demoness had not vanished but it had dimmed somewhat. She had remembered Naruto's voice those nights ago when he had said

"_If you wish to hate Sango, then hate, but do it for a proper reason. Do not hate one for crimes he or she did not commit. It just ends up being more painful for the both of them if that's the case."_

Those words, back then had been just that, mere words…offered by someone who claimed to understand her pain when in reality they knew nothing but now…when she could compare it to what he had told her in that moment of weakness back in her hut in her village. She knew he was speaking from experience, just like then.

'_Because everyone I've ever loved…is already dead.'_

Those words, along with the silent tears that trailed down his cheeks spoke volumes in their own right.

She did not know what to think about the blond shinobi now, he was an enigma with more layers than any person she had ever met, even Inuyasha.

A tap on her shoulder brought her out of her thoughts. She turned and found Kagome smiling softly at her. She smiled back, though any could tell it was rather subdued.

"Hey Sango." The young girl greeted as she sat next to her. "You feeling okay?"

Sango nodded and sighed sadly before looking up at the blackened sky. She could see no stars, Naraku's dark evil taint of miasma had even blocked out the heavens.

"Kagome." She began softly before turning to the younger girl with pleading eyes. "Please promise, that you'll never leave me."

Kagome wrapped the girl in a comforting embrace. "Of course Sango I promise." She whispered.

Sango hugged back. _'Everyone I've ever loved…is already dead.' _Narutos sad heart wrenching words echoed in her mind making her tighten her grip around Kagome by just a bit. _'Please.' _She begged to any willing to listen. _'I…don't want that…for any of us…'_

Miroku, who watched the scene from a few yards away as he wrote his seals for the upcoming battle heard the barely restrained desperation in her voice as she made that plea and somehow, just knew…that for some reason, or some strange circumstance that their blond teammate was part of that.

How though…that was a question he deemed far to troublesome to answer.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Inuyasha grunted the next morning as the group very slowly (in his personal opinion) finished their preparations for battle, Miroku stood as he finished his prayers while Kagome tested the tightness of her bow string, Sango, poured water over her blade and cleaned it while Kagura and Shippou gave their respective weapons a few test swings, the latter doing it while jumping from tree to tree.

"Keh, finally." Inuyasha grunted. "Are you guys finally ready?" Even though he tried to hide it anyone with eyes could see he was anxious. He looked around with his patented scowl. "And where is that blond bast…"

"I'm right here Inuyasha." The blond said as he emerged from the shadows of the forest, his walk slow and casual giving off his usual lazy countenance. But they could tell that something…something had changed in his demeanor.

He looked at all of them and smirked, but something was different about this one as well.

"Well then." He drawled. "I assume its time."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The battle fought to reach the walls of Naraku's fortress was not an easy one. As the gates came within view swarms of low level yokai descended from the heavens, over the walls and from around the sides of the fortress.

Naruto , Kagome, Inuyasha and Kagura were the hardest hitters. Naruto using his shadow clones, creating one for each that was destroyed, using his speed and array of kunai and techniques to keep the foes that came from the left at bay, while Miroku, Sango, Kirara and Shippou demolished those on the right, Kagura had taken to the sky's keeping the foes from circling around from above or diving down for a head long assault.

Kagome and Inuyasha took on the center column, the futuristic Miko's arrows tore through the incoming hordes, purifying as many as seven to twelve of them in a single shot, while Inuyasha used the Tetsusaiga, his wind scar and the Iron reaver to cut them down.

As the Yokai began to see that no matter how many they attacked with, the group of warriors would hold their ground they began to falter and even disperse, when Naraku's twisted power urged them forward, if nothing more than to simply tire the group out.

The ground grew slick with the blood and fleshy organs as the demons were cut down . Over and over again they fell, the carnage of battle and the cries of his allies as they swung their weapons brought back memories to the young Uzumaki, visions of the final confrontation between Oto, Konoha and Akatsuki.

He struggled to suppress the memories, but they came unbidden. His eyes clouded over as he heard the sickening slice as a kunai cut open the belly of a snake yokai.

_He remembered when he saw Jiraiya, his sensei and one of the first to acknowledge him as a student worthy of training, fell to the power of the Amateratsu, nothing more than stray ashes in the wind, even as the demonic black fire burned for seven days and seven nights._

He shifted his position back to avoid one of the Yokai that tried to clamp down its powerful jaws along his shoulder. With a wind lengthened kunai he sliced off the demons head off, watching as blood came from the wound, sprinkling his face and clothes in the warm crimson liquid.

_He remembered, as he saw Gaara, the one person he could identify with on the most basic of levels, fall due to exhaustion and the terrible wounds inflicted on him by Deidara._

He leapt back and tossed a kunai, his hands going through the motions, his mind was elsewhere though, not in this bloody battlefield but in another. One that was far more terrible to him than a thousand battles would be able to accomplish together.

_He remembered as Tsunade, someone he had grown to love perhaps as far as to call her the mother he had never had, fell to a savage Kunai slash across her abdomen, too delirious and too weary from battle and blood loss to mold or even have the amount of chakra necessary to heal the grievous wound. Her pale blond locks framing her face, she looked so peaceful, even in death._

His clouded, dull eyes raised and saw more yokai, hundreds of them, approaching him, their bloodlust and mindless madness that glinted in their demonic eyes was almost tangible. He smiled an eerie smile, one that had never adorned his face, or perhaps it had, merely hidden amongst the shadows of his mask. He continued to smile, even as he took his fighting stance.

His smile remained even as the yokai approached, and continued to remain, even as he could feel heir waves of bloodlust washed over him, even as scenes of bloody battles and former friends came to him and it remained even as tears came and fell, their soft pitter patter on the blood soaked ground going unheard throughout the chaos.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Is everyone all right?" Kagome called as Inuyasha cut down the last demon. Another, barely alive tried to sneak up behind her but an orange blur crossed its path before a sickening slice was head and its head rolled. Kagome turned around and saw Shippou, with a few specs of blood on him.

It was strange seeing him like that, his child like innocence always seemed to make imagining him killing so impossible but, Kagome had to remind herself that despite how much she loved him, he was still a demon, it was almost second nature really, even for humans killing was a baser instinct with demons it was just more pronounced.

She turned and found Sango swiping her sword to get rid of the blood as she placed Hiraikotsu on her back, while Miroku put more sutra on his staff. Kagura drifted down, from the sky and her feather returned to its usual place on her hair piece.

Kagome turned and saw Inuyasha deliver a final wind scar, eliminating the last chunk of the horde, scattering their ashes.

She turned to where Naruto had been fighting and immediately had to stifle a gasp.

It wasn't because of some terrible injury, or that a yokai was approaching for a surprise attack, no, it was just his eyes.

Those eyes, once a vibrant amused blue, now dull, lifeless cold empty voids scanned over the scene of blood and death.

His once vibrant blond hair was now almost brown and lay matted against his forehead, drenched in blood and covered with dirt and mud. The crimson red liquid trailed down his face, his blue eyes shined in the dim light much like a dog at night, the miasma that blanketed the sky like a dark plague gave way to reveal the blood red moon that hung directly over head.

The blond turned and in that instant, he was the most terrifying yet, saddest creature she had ever seen.

He averted his gaze and stared up at the walls of the fortress before he, with a single leap, leapt over the fortress wall, leaving the others behind.

"Naruto!" She yelled startled, the others turned and just managed to catch a glimpse of the blond before he vanished behind the wall. 'Crazy bastard!" Inuyasha snarled as he rushed to catch up.

The ground beneath their feet shook violently and Naraku's chilling laughter floated to them. "Fools." He chuckled amusedly. "Time to kill you."

Before anyone could do much a large explosion came from within the walls of the castle and a massive spider, almost one hundred feet high rose, screeching a battle cry as it sent one of its sixteen feet toward the Inu group. (Naraku is a spider demon and so I figured this was fitting and I gave him twice as many legs as a normal spider, I did it on purpous not by mistake)

Inuyasha rushed and lifted Kagome as Shippou jumped on her shoulder and with a leap they were able to escape the demons attack. Kagura used her feather and took Miroku as she sailed back while Sango leapt on Kirara to escape.

The Inu Taichi lokked upon Naraku's true form and couldn't help but feel fear, not even Sesshomaru was this big in his true form. This would be tough.

**"Kuchiose no Jutsu!!!!!" **They heard before a massive cloud of smoke appeared behind the spider demon. They each turned and found a bright orange toad, with two blades strapped across his back and a blue gi along with a pipe in his mouth staring at the massive spider demon with complete and utter shock.

Naruto looked at the toad and immediately, a true smile, one he had not shown since that day appeared on his face as recognition entered his eyes. "Gamagichi." He said smiling down at the massive toad.

The toad rolled his eyes upwards and immediately felt them go wider than normal. **"Br…Bro? WHAT THE HELL?" **The toad yelled before he moved his tongue so he could grab the blond and place him on his webbed hand. He took a massive breath before he yelled at him with gale forced winds producing from his mouth. **"4500 YEARS!!!!! FOURTYFIVE HUNDRED YEARS YOU BASTARD I THOUGHT YOU WERE KILLED ALONG WITH JIRAIYA!!!!! WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU!!!!!! WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN AND WHY ARE YOU SUMMONING ME NOW?" **

He paused **"AND HOW THE HELL ARE YOU SUMMONING ME ANYWAY, HUMANS DON'T LIVE FOURTYFIVE HUNDRED YEARS!!!!!! WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?"** The toad looked up and leapt back to avoid a swipe from one of the massive spiders razor sharp legs.

Naruto clung to the toad with chakra and spoke. "I will explain everything later Gamagitchi I swear but help me beat this guy now."

The toad narrowed its eyes and then slowly nodded. **'Fine." **He conceded before placing the blond back on his head and took out both his Katana.

Naruto stood proudly on his old friends head, crossing his arms and glaring up at the slightly taller spider demon. "Now then, lets reintroduce this world to a summon battle."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Surprise!!!! Hahahahaha! How many people were expecting to see Gamagichi again? Anyway, next chapter has another surprise for you all.

I hope that I was able to show Naruto's slowly deteriorating mental health and how close to true madness he really is.


	23. Out for blood

I'M BAAAAACCCCKKKK!!!!! Miss me? Of course you did. Since the alert system is messed up again (at least mine is) I'm informing you that chapter 26 of my other story The Void has been updated, please go and remember to read and review. I would like for that story to reach at least 1000 reviews by the time it is finished.

Also, for the people who are wondering why Naruto didn't summon Gamabunta, well the answer is quite simple, Gamakichi is the boss toad now. And to the people that told me Gamakitchi was just a messenger toad I figured that simple logic would give you the answer for that, 4500 years have passed, the little guy was BOUND to at least grow an inch or two. And yes I did spell his name wrong, thank you all for informing me.

Also, to the guy that is worried that Naraku is more powerful than the Bijuu because he has sixteen legs and that may measure his power much like the bijuu's tails don't be, I just did that because I didn't think that just making the spider bigger was very original and besides, can you picture a spider with sixteen legs? Its kinda freaky. And also someone said that Naraku had showed some kind of full demonic transformation in one of the Inuyasha movies. If he did I don't know, I didn't see any of the Inuyasha movies, I'm just imagining a big 100 foot spider with sixteen legs and possibly eight bright yellow eyes.

Also to those of you wondering what the power ranking is I'm gonna put it all infront of you right now.

Before the mnt Hakurei adventure

Sesshomaru 10; 13 (in his true form)

Naraku 8

Inuyasha 7

Sango 5

Miroku (without the wind tunnel) 3 (with the wind tunnel) 6

Kirara 3

Kagome 2

Shippou 1

After the mnt Hakurei adventure and Naruto's training of the Inu group.

Naraku 11; 15 (in his true form)

Sesshomaru 10; 13

Naruto 10

Kagome 9 (Against demons)

Inuyasha 8 ½

Sango 6- or 7 depending weather or not she's on Kirara

Miroku 5 (Without the wind tunnel) 8 (with the wind tunnel)

Shippou 4

Kirara 3

But that's just my personal opinion.

And no, Naraku is by no means even remotely close to being as strong as the Bijuu. The only one he may match is the weakest one and its still a long shot.

Also, I want everyone to know that I do not consider myself to be 'Good' at writing summon battles and I have only written three including this one so don't go biting my head off if you don't like it.

Anyway, Lets finally get on with the story.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto looked upon the massive spider Yokai with apathy. Even as its massive legs uprooted trees and kicked up dust as it positioned itself to face him and Gamakichi. He felt no fear, no excitement, no anxiety, nothing. He felt pleasantly numb. He looked down at Gamakitchi's serious expression. "I assume you know all of your old mans techniques?" He said, making the large toad nod the action causing a slight feeling of vertigo go through him as the comparatively small movement made him feel like he was on a rollercoaster.

He nodded "Good. Then lets show this bastard what where made of."

Gamakitchi took a puff from his pipe and unsheathed the two Katana's on his back. "Been way to long since I've fought a real battle. After all, since the ninja world fell in the Bijuu wars, we haven't had a summoner."

Naruto nodded as the spider seemed to laugh strangely before it rushed at them its four front legs poised as blades ready to stab the boss toad.

"Up." Naruto commanded and with a leap Gamakichi was practically flying back to avoid the pincer like leg blades. The toads stomach seemed to enlarge before his throat swelled and then **"Suiton: Teppodama!!!" **The toad yelled as a massive water ball was launched straight for the spider demon.

Naraku, in his hulking form could not dodge due to his momentum and received the hit full in the face. He screeched horribly, making Naruto's ears ring and rushed forward again.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Meanwhile down bellow:

"Wha-What the hell?" Inuyasha gasped as he saw the two massive forms begin to duke it out.

Kagome and the others had similar thoughts running through their minds but could only stare at the sight slack jawed.

Only Kagura seemed to have her wits about her. "Did you all hear what the toad said?"

Miroku snapped back to the real world and ran over the previous events that had occurred in the last five minutes. "If what the creature said is true then…"

"Naruto's really really really old" Shippou put in helpfully.

Inuyasha snorted. "We can beat the crap out of him later and get our answers but right now we have to fight."

"Ummm, Inuyasha." Kakagome chirped. "Theres only one little problem with that plan."

"What?" He snapped.

"HE'S A HUNDRED FEET TALL!!!! YOUR WIND SCAR IS LIKE AN ANNOYING STING TO HIM NOW!!!!"

Inuyasha growled, realizing that his wind scar would probably do nothing more than merely scratch the surface. Ryukotsusei was testament to that.

Kagura snorted and took out her three feathers, making them grow, "Get on, they'll follow your orders once your on them." She said getting onto her feather and leaving the other two for Inuyasha and Kagome.

The two looked hesitant but a fierce screech from the Spider Hanyou had them up ontop of their respective feathers. Shippou, feeling more secure with Kagome leapt onto hers as well, Sango and Miroku mounted Kirara and together the group took to the sky.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Gamakichi crisscrossed his swords to block as Naraku's four front legs came at him, the tough exoskeletons standing up well to the razor sharp Katana's

Naruto saw an opportunity as the blades met the attack. "OIL NOW!!!!"

Gamakichi complied, spitting out a huge stream of oil that covered Naraku's spider like face and his upper body. **"Katon: Gamayu Endan!!!" **(Toad oil flame bullet)

Naraku screeched and lashed out in pain as his face and upper body were instantly lit, the bright flames were so hot even the Inu group, which were still a little ways away could feel it.

In a rage Naraku, lashed out with his fifth leg, catching Gamakichi off guard. The boss toad couldn't react in time and received a jagged gash along his side. The toad leapt back and cursed as he clutched his bleeding side. **"Damnit bro, I swear if we get out of this I'll kill you myself." **He grunted.

Naruto chuckled before turning serious again as the oil burnt out and the flames began to die down. Naraku's exoskeleton was slightly cracked in a few places due to the great heat but otherwise, no extra damage had been done.

"Got any suggestions?" The blond asked his old friend.

Gamakichi grunted. **"Don't look at me, my clan never really had any confrontations with the spider clan. The snakes did though."**

Naruto sighed but then felt his eyes go wide as Naraku's mouth opened and a massive ball of concentrated Miasma, began forming there. Naruto and Gamakichi were suddenly having flashbacks from the fight with Shukaku. (Gamakichi was little back then but he was still there, he was on Naruto's head)

"**HOLD ON!!!!" **Gamakichi yells as he leapt straight up just as Naraku released the ball of concentrated miasma.

The very earth seemed to corrode and die as the miasma passed over it. Unknown to the two however they had just fallen into Naraku's trap.

The spider yokai lifted itself and with what appeared to be a deep breath shot out a huge stream of spider webbing, heading straight for the toad and ninja.

Gamakichi moved to release a water blast but both he and Naruto knew it wouldn't be ready in time.

"**Wind Scar!!!!" **was heard just before a wave of golden energy obliterated the incoming webbing.

Naruto and Gamakichi looked up, and found Inuyasha standing triumphantly over Kagura's feather, with a fairly cocky smirk on his face.

Naraku, in a rage rushed forward and with the four front legs that he could spare, began sending a flurry of strikes toward the boss toad, Gamakichi back pedaled as best he could, which looked strange due to the fact that he was a fifty foot toad running basically moving away from a one hundred foot tall spider.

Naraku, with a mighty swing of one of his legs smacked away one of Gamakichi's Katana and stabbed the boss toad in the shoulder with another leg while he kept his second sword busy with the other two. Gamakichi cursed as Naraku raised his one free offensive leg and prepared to stab the boss toad in the head.

Before he could bring it down however his leg was suddenly turned to ash as Kagome's purifying arrow hit it dead center.

The spider demon reeled back in shock and pain even as his lost limb regenerated.

It roared as it heaved Gamakichi up by its wounded shoulder and tossed him aside, roughly 200 yards. It then rounded off to face the Inu group. It screeched once before spitting out clumps of miasma in their direction, while simultaneously putting a mist of the poisonous vapors that slowly spread outwards, soon they wouldn't even be able to get close enough to attack.

Kagura, Kagome, Inuyasha and Sango each entered a form of dog fight, dodging Naraku's acidic spit while simultaneously launching strikes of their own as they tried to fond some form of weak spot on the spider demons outer skin.

Gamagichi groaned as he picked himself up. **"Oh yeah, if this bastard doesn't kill you I sure as hell will Uzumaki." **The toad said as he clutched his second wound and leaned on his blade.

Naruto grunted, he had managed to stay on the bosses head with chakra but that didn't help his stomach at all, he really wanted to throw up right now. He looked back up toward Naraku as the Inu group, kept attacking him. "I think I might have a Jutsu that can win this." He said.

Gamakich glared up at him. **"And we didn't try this sooner because…." **He inquired in a tone that promised death.

Naruto smiled. "I kinda forgot about it."

If looks could kill Naruto would have had a hole in his head. The blond turned serious. But the only way its gonna work is if you make a hole in his outer skin, at least the size of my fist. I can only do this Jutsu at maximum capacity once and at most, twice I think I can make the hole but you have to hold him down."

Gamakichi nodded seriously. And with a mighty leap, soared into the air.

Naruto was surprised by the unexpected move and had to crouch so as not to fall off. 'What the hell are you doing?"

Gamakichi sucked in a deep breath of air and somehow managed to shift himself so his back was facing the earth. Then just as they were passing directly over Naraku the toad let all of the air in his gut out like a great jet of air that propelled him downwards.

**BUG CRUSHING JUTSU!!!!" **The toad yelled just before he crashed right over Naraku in what was considered a gigantic body slam. Naraku, felt all the air leave his body, despite the fact that he was taller than Gamakichi, the toad weighed much…much more…he tried to lift himself using his sixteen legs but it proved to be with difficult especially with the fact that Gamakichi had grabbed four of them on his left side and was trying to cut off the others with his sword on his right side.

The Inu-group, who had been blown back by the shockwave could only stare at one of the strangest, most ridiculous sights they had ever seen. They soon snapped out of it however and charged in, coming in with renewed vigor.

Naruto meanwhile had lost his grip on Gamakichi and was now, lying on Naraku's thrashing back. Ohhhh shit his head hurt. Did anyone get the license plate of that truck?

He stood up on wobbly legs and took in his surroundings. As soon as He noticed Gamakichi's trashing form and felt movement beneath his feet he knew he was on Naraku's body.

He flexed his right hand and in seconds a bright ball of energy was formed. "Lets see your armor stand up to this." He said in a low dangerous tone before he raised his hand up. **"RASENGAN!!!!" **He yelled as he slammed his hand down.

Several loud cracks and crunches were heard as the 'ground' gave way beneath him.

He leapt back and found that his rasengan had torn open a hole the size of a shopping cart. He flexed his shoulder. 'Well that'll do." He muttered before he formed two clones and each cupped their hands together.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"WIND SCAR!!!

"Fujin no Mai!!!"

HIRAIKOTSU!!!"

Came three simultaneous yells as they attacked Naraku. Sango's boomerang cutting off one of Naraku's hind legs, hitting the only exposed flesh, which was where the leg met the body. While Kagura's attack sent dozens of her wind blades that sliced into Naraku's face, one even managing to cut off a mandible.

She smirked at his screech of pain, while the big toad on his back cursed as he was now struggling even more to get free.

The group paused as they saw a bright blue light. They each looked a little closer and managed to see that it was coming from their blond haired companion before he slammed it into Naraku.

They each heard and felt the resounding boom and watched as Naraku's trashing increased to an almost desperate state.

Then they saw a second light, but this one felt even more powerful.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto grunted as his most powerful technique formed in his hands. The Kaze Rasenshuriken. (I'm pretty sure this is the name of the technique.)

His eyes narrowed as he stared at Naraku's exposed flesh beneath the exoskeleton. "Time to die." He said coldly before raising his arm up.

"**KAZE RASENSHURIKEN!!!" **He yells before slamming the ball of destruction down into the demons back, he can feel flesh tearing, blending and twisting beneath his hand, the jutsu plows on through, he pours his chakra, his emotions, all the sadness the anger and pain bottled up in his chest, hidden deep in his worn and wounded heart. His face though, even as he feels all of these emotions never wavers form its apathetic cold gaze, even as he feels the bones in his arm snapping from the strain.

Finally with a cry of pain and a massive explosion all is silent.

The Inu group, who had retreated when they felt the massive power had watched the spectacle from above, the toad was nowhere to be seen and only chunks of Naraku's body remained. But where was Naruto?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Physical pain was not new to the young Uzumaki, he had felt it, possibly more than most during his relatively short lifetime.

And right now he was one of the extreme cases of physical pain he had ever experienced. His entire right arm, from his wrist all the way up to his shoulder was completely and totally shattered.

The improved version of the Rasengan he had created with Kakashi and Yamato-sensei was powerful, but damaged him as well. This would not really be a problem since basically anyone short of a six tailed demon would probably be quite out of commission for a great length of time should they suffer a direct hit from that attack.

But, the simple fact that he had used the technique, therefore snapping his forearm in three places and then also been caught in the explosion that had sent him flying and then after that crashing through several trees as a landing really wasn't helping things.

The fall had broken the rest of the bones in his arm as well as one rib. So yes, he could safely say he was in pain.

His right arm was bleeding horribly, his forehead protector was practically nothing but a slab of metal with a string attached to it, his clothes also had tears and burn marks in several places.

Overall he looked like he had been through world war two with a bright bulls-eye on his uniform that said 'hit me I'm open'.

So it was no surprise, that when one of the group finally caught sight of him, the first thing to leave the persons mouth was a nice. "Holy shit."

Yup, definitely helping his self confidence there.

He looked up through weary eyes and caught sight of Kagura signaling the others.

She walked over and knelt beside him. "You look like shit." She said after a few seconds of silence.

"Thank you." He chirped smiling at her just as the rest of the group arrived.

Kagome and Sango rushed over to see if he had any life threatening injuries as Kagura stood.

"I'll be fine." He grunted. "It'll just take about a week or so to properly heal if I don't move it."

Kagome narrowed her eyes at him. "A week?" She questioned. 'Youll be lucky if you ever use this arm again Naruto."

He chuckled, her fussing reminded him of when he had first used the technique. Sakura had been on his case for a whole month after that.

His eyes clouded over and he let out a sigh. _Sakura_

His reminiscing was cut off however as a dark chuckle echoed from the forest.

The entire group immediately stood up on alert, that laugh…they could never mistake it.

Purple Miasma formed itself just at the edge of the clearing and Naraku's battered and beaten form revealed itself. In reality, all he was was an upper torso, from his left shoulder down to the right side of his waist his body was completely blown off and the upper part of his body was beaten to a pulp, massive gashes and huge bruises could be seen everywhere. "Fools." He laughed darkly. "Did you think, you could possibly defeat me."

Inuyasha snarled and unsheathed Tetsusaiga. The fang pulsed with power as the enraged Hanyou glared at the parasite.

Naraku chuckled. "You have beaten me here. So I have decided to leave you with a parting gift."

Naruto stood on shaky legs, he really didn't like where this was going.

Naraku smirked and lifted his last remaining hand to show three corrupted jewel shards. "My gift." He practically hissed before the three shards shot forward at speeds even Naruto could barely catch.

No one had time to react, as the three shards stabbed themselves into Inuyasha's throat.

The entire group snapped their attention to him as he dropped Tetsusaiga in surprise and clutched his neck, as if being choked by some unseen foe.

"Have fun." Naraku laughed mirthlessly.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome cried as she rushed towards him.

A flash of red in the hanyou's eyes warned Naruto and he shot forward, using his one good arm to grab Kagome from behind and pull her back. "Stop! He's not himself!" The blond yelled as the others were about to move forward as well.

Everyone paused as Inuyasha's breathing went back to normal and he slowly stood, his face and eyes were hidden from view due to his silver hair.

The group looked on warily, when Inuyasha finally turned to face them they knew he was not himself.

His once golden eyes were now bloodshot red and magneta stripes adorned his cheeks, only these were much more jagged and thick in comparison to Sesshomaru's stripes.

Inuyasha had been consumed by his demonic blood.

And the look in his eyes said he was out for blood.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Here ya go. Like I said summon battles aren't my specialty, anyway, I've got one more surprise for you in the next chap. Read and review.


	24. The demon emerges

Here I am again!!! Hope you all enjoy this hehehehehehehe.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The air was thick with tension. The entire group stared at the red clad Hanyou with trepidation. As a low chuckle came from him they all tensed.

Naruto's eyes narrowed as his laughter became one of insane glee. This was most definitely not the Inuyasha they knew.

His red eyes shined in the dim moonlight, his laughter ceased an snarls took its place. He flashed a fanged grin which spoke of bloodlust and insanity before he raised his claws.

"RUN!!!" The blond shouted as he rushed forward and snaked his left arm around Kagome's waist, just as Shippou managed to jump on her shoulder he took off with Sango and Miroku mounting Kirara and Kagura leaving on her feather.

Inuyasha snarled and with a cry of rage he rushed after the blond ninja.

Kagome, who had lost her senses for a moment from the sudden, rapid movement a feeling of vertigo as they rushed through the tree's finally managed to regain herself and looked to Naruto, who had a few beads of sweat running down his forehead.

She looked behind her just in time to see Inuyasha take a lunge at them. His half demon speed was impressive on its own, but as a full demon and now one with the added power of three jewel shards it was more than enough to surpass Naruto's already impressive speed.

As his claws reared back , ready to swing, Kagome only had one thing return to the forefront of her mind.

"SIT!!!"

The beads around Inuyasha's neck glowed brightly and with startled eyes the Hanyou plunged to the forest floor.

Unlike last time however he did not hit face first, instead his hands and nees slammed into the earth as he tried to keep himself upwards.

Naruto glanced back at Inuyasha and saw as he hit the forest floor. "Keep activating the prayer beads!!" He ordered.

Kagome nodded and continued to yell out the command word, over and over again, keeping the enraged Inu subjugated.

After what seemed like eternity which was really only a few minutes of Kagome shouting herself hoarse the three stopped in a clearing.

As Naruto set them down he leaned tiredly against the tree. The pain of his arm was almost unbearable, sweat marred his forehead, god everything in his arm was just throbbing.

"Naruto!" Kagome called worriedly as she moved to him and wrapped an arm around his waist to keep him standing. Shippou looked worriedly at his sensei/companion/friend his arm really did look bad and the stench of blood coming off him was very strong, indicating that it was bleeding, a lot.

Naruto breathed heavily but still managed to smile at the two. "I'm fine, I've seen worse." He breathed out before straightening himself and looking at their two worried expressions.

Sango, Miroku and Kirara swooped down along with Kagura, all looking relatively uneasy with the situation.

Naruto looked at all of them, "We need to stop him…anyone got any ideas?"

Miroku was the first to speak. "I've designed some new seals from the one's you've shown me that can suppress demonic energy. I'm not sure if they'll work but…" He trailed off at the end.

Naruto nodded. "Give them to me, I have a better chance of slapping them on and escaping unharmed than what you have." Miroku nodded and began shifting through his equipment, searching for the experimental seals.

Kagome spoke next. 'The tetsusaiga was always a suppressant to his demonic blood. If he has it in his hand or somewhere on his person his demon blood will be suppressed again.

Naruto nodded, he knew that from having watched their adventures.

Kagura spoke up. "Your forgetting the shards. Those things are corrupted and Naraku most likely placed them so that even with the Tetsusaiga's suppressive seals his demonic blood wouldn't be sealed." She said, cursing the parasitic Hanyou again.

The entire group fell silent until Shippou spoke up. "Then we have to remove the shards."

'Its not that easy." Naruto spoke. "Naraku placed those shards along his neck, near the jugular vein, I highly doubt Inuyasha will stay still long enough for us to surgically remove the shards so we don't hit his jugular."

The night seemed to grow bleaker by the second and it wasn't helping that the sounds of a snarling angry hanyou was approaching them.

Sango spoke up. "Then what do we do."

Naruto spoke up again. "There are only two things we can do and one is very difficult, while the other one most, if not none of you are going to like. We either knock him unconscious or…we kill him."

The temperature seemed to have dropped several degrees, the inu group seemed horrified at the second idea. Only Kagura's expression was lined with apathy.

"Then I suppose we knock him unconscious." Naruto said. He turned to Shippou, Kirara and Miroku as the monk handed him the special seals. "You three go back and get the Tetsusaiga. Since we don't want to kill him then your wind tunnel is of no use here Miroku."

The Monk nodded in understanding before getting up on Kirara with Shippou jumping and landing on the enlarged neko yokai's head.

With a swift movement they took to the sky, giving Inuyasha a wide berth.

Naruto then turned to Kagura and the other females. "Kagura give them your feathers, I'll distract him and you three get in as many shots as you can whenever you know you wont hit me."

Kagura nodded grimly, while the other two looked downright stricken. Kagome especially.

Kagura formed her three feathers and the three females took to the sky.

Naruto watched them rise just before Inuyasha burst through the tree line, his claws reared back ready to strike.

He turned around and managed to dodge the attack by side stepping and slapped one of the five seals Miroku had given him onto Inuyasha's outstretched arm. The seal glowed red and hissed as it was burnt onto his skin, making it impossible to remove.

Inuyasha growled deep in his throat and delivered a savage back hand to the blonds face, which sent him flying back, crashing into a tree.

Naruto straightened, his weakened state was in reality no match for the hanyou's increased strength. Blood loss and pain were starting to take its toll on him.

He looked up, his vision slightly blurry, instinct and reflexes are what saved him as he leaned to the side and caught Inuyasha's wrist as the hanyou tried to strike him again. Even so Inuyasha's claws bit deep into his left collar bone, blood flowed freely from the new injuries. He gritted his teeth in pain as he tried to push the hanyou back, but the fact that he was using his off hand added to the Inu demons enhanced strength only made it so he was only able from preventing him from digging his claws in further.

"Fujin no Mai!!!" They heard. Inuyasha growled and half way turned to face the wind blades and used his free arm to release an Iron reaver to counter.

The two attacks cancelled eachother out. Kagura's eyes widened in surprise, Inuyasha's attack had never been able to counter hers so easily. This was just proof that he was now immensely more powerful.

"HIRAIKOTSU!!!" They heard, but this time Inuyasha couldn't turn in time to face the attack and received the hit right along his lower back, which threw him into the forest, crashing headfirst into a tree with a sickening crack.

Naruto straightened himself and awkwardly held his bleeding left collar bone with his left hand. He couldn't even make hand seals for any jutsu with his right arm in such bad conditions. Which left him with a limited arsenal.

All he had was the rasengan. A potentially lethal technique. He wasn't sure if even with this amount of power if Inuyasha could handle having his insides twisted and some may even be shredded.

He couldn't contemplate his thoughts further as Inuyasha burst through the tree line again, this time setting his sights on the two females that attacked him.

Naruto barely registered as the silver haired hanyou jumped to a tree branch and catapulted towards them.

He reared his claws back and launched two Iron reavers towards the slightly startled females. Sango caught her Hiraikotsu and moved to use it as a shield while Kagura prepared to swing her fan.

As the attacks approached, a pearlescent light shot through the night air cancellying both attacks. All eyes turned to Kagome, who had notched another bow into her arrow and was ready to let it loose towards Inuyasha.

The out of control Inu growled and snarled as he saw her interfear. Before he could attack her however our favorite blond ninja appeared slightly above him.

Inuyasha looked up and Naruto immediately slapped a seal on his forehead. The seal burnt into his skin, leaving Inuyasha snarling in pain and in range, before he could however Naruto delivered a solid knee to his chin with enough force to make him back flip twice as he fell towards earth.

Inuyasha landed on his hands and knees and moved to stand up again, as he got to his feet, Naruto came down with a crushing axe kick down onto his collar bone, a sickening crunch resounded through the air as Inuyasha's bones broke under the strain.

The hanyou nearly fell to the ground but caught his footing at the last minute and came back with a vicious slash in an uppercut motion. Naruto managed to back pedal enough to avoid a swipe to the face but still received three nasty gashes along his chest.

The injuries bled freely. Naruto clutched his chest in pain and wobbled on his feet. Now he really was gonna pass out.

Inuyasha moved forward again with the full intent of eliminating the blond nuisance. The sounds of the broken bones Naruto had managed to give him snapping back into place and mending at rapid speeds echoed from the trees.

Once again however he was met by interference.

"INUYASHA STOP!!!" Kagome yelled before firing an arrow at him. The arrow him him in theright shoulder. He looked up, eyes alight with fury.

But he did not see Kagome, no he saw the same woman who had imprisoned him so many years ago, the woman he once loved, Kikyo. While his human side still loved her, his demonic side could not stomach the thought of her betrayal.

He snarled and removed the arrow from where it had been stabbed into his shoulder and rushed to her. "KIKYO!!!" He yelled in a rage.

Naruto never one to miss an opportunity pushed chakra into his legs and slapped another seal onto his back.

Inuyasha paid him no heed however as he merely continued to rush towards Kagome, with the full intent of harm.

Kagome's eyes lit up with righteous fury and indignation. Too many times she had endured him confusing her with her dead incarnation and she was sick of it. Her power, fuelled by her anger surged forth and shined brightly on the tip of her arrow.

She let it fly, hitting the Hanyou again in his right shoulder. The jewel shards pulsed as the purifying wave hit them. Their corrupt power weakened by the wave of purification. Inuyasha staggered back in a daze. Naruto seized the opportunity to slap the last two seals on him. They burnt into his skin through the fire rat robe. Inuyasha clutched his head in pain and fell to his knees.

Naruto, his vision blurry from blood loss could hear his own blood pumping through his veins as the adrenalin died down. But even so he could tell they were not out of danger yet. Inuyasha's eyes continued to shift from gold to red, indicating that the seals were suppressing the beast, but the power of the corrupt jewel shards remained.

"NARUTO!!!"

The blond lethargically turned his head and saw Miroku on Kirara's back clutching an untransformed Tetsusaiga. The monk threw it down to him.

Naruto lazily raised his hand and caght the hilt of the blade with practiced ease.

This however, proved to be a fatal mistake.

Inuyasha, having heard the voice and the familiar sound of a weapon, looked up at Naruto who had just caught his sword and was now holding it in a way that made it seem as if he was about to behead him.

Still struggling with his instincts and not quite down from battle high, his survival nature took over and he did the first thing he could think of.

He attacked.

Naruto saw Inuyasha's features shift into a feral snarl and his eyes flash a dangerous red. His eyes widened but before he could pull back, Inuyasha rushed forward, grabbed the wrist that held the blade and to everyone's shock and horror, he reared back his claws and punched them through the blonds chest, his fist coming out the other side.

Still going on his survival instinct, Inuyasha then gripped the sword in Naruto's hand in order to throw it to the side so he could disarm him. But as his clawed hand wrapped around the blade, Tetsusaiga pulsed and the world suddenly became startlingly clear to him.

He wished it hadn't.

He didn't know why, he didn't know how, he couldn't remember what had happened. It was all just a haze…

The others all stared in horror at the sight, Sango, Kagome and Shippou, felt tears beginning to form. Kagura and Miroku could only stare with looks of horror etched on their faces.

A myriad of emotions passed through everyone. Fear, disbelief, anger, pain, sadness, too many to name really. They felt it…they saw it but they couldn't believe it.

He had always seemed so invincible. Like an insurmountable tower, from which they all drew inspiration, strength, wisdom. Hell, everything! He was like a beacon of light in a world that had seemed so bleak that hope had become a thing of dreams.

The world seemed so much darker now.

Naruto, felt all the strength leave his legs and he had to grasp Inuyasha's fire rat robe to help steady himself. He coughed up blood, which stained his face mask and dripped down his chin, the edges of his vision were going dark.

His heartbeat…he could hear it. It was so faint.

Was he…was he dying?

Inuyasha was terrified. What had he done? What had happened? Why?

He looked to Naruto's half lidded gaze but then, the young Anbu did the last thing Inuyasha could have ever expected.

He smiled.

It wasn't one of his smirks he gave when he was about to give a wise ass comments, it wasn't one of his lazy bored smiles, it wasn't even one of the ones he gave when he knew something you didn't.

It was a smile, where his eyes seemed to shine with some hidden joy. It was what he would call a 'True smile'

Naruto chuckled weakly, before his eyes closed, his breathing shallowed and his heart stilled.

Inuyasha, removed his arm with a sickening sound and caught the Anbu as he fell. His mind still reeling from this shock. His mind, it couldn't comprehend it, it couldn't understand what he had done.

The others, at the sight of Naruto's limp body finally falling rushed down and landed near Inuyasha as the Hanyou layed him against the cold wet ground.

They each looked down and could only breathe in shock as they found the most peaceful contented smile on the young blond ninja's masked face.

Before they could do anything however, the sky rumbled and shifted from its eerie black to a blood shot red. The Inu group looked around worriedly Miroku taking up a defensive stance with his staff as well as Kagura, Sango, and Kagome.

Inuyasha slowly stood, his claws dripping with blood. Naruto's blood.

The group each turned as a strange red energy began to form above them. They backed away in fear. This power was oppressive, terrifying even. They watched in fear and dread as the massive form of a burning fox head appeared in mid air.

The strange creature let out the most terrifying unearthly roar anyone of them have ever heard. They fell to their knees as the creatures power seemed to wash over them, it shook them to the very core. Kagome felt her stomach lurch and with a heave her stomach contents fell over the forest floor.

As the creatures roar ended it seemed to grin before it swirled in a tornado of flames and slammed into the floor forest floor.

Inuyasha, managed to regain his wits and grabbed Kagome and Shippou in order to back away from the flames that were approaching them." WAIT!! NARUTO!!!" She yelled in alarm as she saw the flames consume him.

Kagura too regained her wits and picked up Miroku before moving back. Kirara picked up Sango and took to the skies.

As the tornado of fire died away the entire group slowly approached and came across an empty field.

Naruto Uzumaki had vanished.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

HA!!! Finally. Kyuubi reemerges.

Anyway, theres your surprise. Also, It is quite possible that I'll start a new story soon. I've decided to call it "Lost soul" For the time being due to the suggestion of a friend. Check for it in my profile every now and then if the alerts don't go up soon. There's also a possibility I wont do it yet so don't be disappointed. If it comes out it'll be tomorrow or Friday

Read and review.


	25. Midoriko's message

Hehehehe, I'm back.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It had been three days since the fateful battle against Naraku and the Inu group was in an understandably somber state. Not many words were spoken between them, each of the groups lost in their own thoughts and trying to recover from Naruto's…death.

Kagome had removed the shards from Inuyasha's neck with her Miko abilities, abilities that she had received ironically from the person they were all now mourning.

It was just so surreal, they had been talking to him just the other day and then he was just…gone. It had all happened so fast.

Shippou, Kagome and Sango had cried that day and most of the next. Kagura had become much more reserved and rarely spoke to anyone unless they addressed her first. Miroku, ever the peaceful monk had been chanting prayers for Naruto almost the entire time.

Inuyasha however was by far the worst of them. He had barely said two words to them during the entire three days and had taken up residence in a tree branch. They had tried to get him to come down but it had been to no avail.

Kagome looked into the happily dancing flames with dull eyes. Miroku was meditating against a tree, Sango was half heartedly sharpening Hiraikotsu, Shippou, his eyes puffy from crying was asleep in her sleeping bag, with Kirara wrapped around him, Kagura was currently resting on a tree branch, with her back against the trunk and Inuyasha…

He was still in the same spot he had been for the last three days. With his back to them his left foot dangled from the tree branch.

She sighed and stood, walking over until she was at the base of the tree he was on. "Inuyasha." She called hoping he would at least acknowledge her. He did not.

She sighed. "Inuyasha please, come down. It wasn't your fault lets talk about this."

He didn't move.

She held back her tears, born from both sadness and frustration and took a deep breath, she was too tired, physically, mentally and emotionally to negotiate with him all night, maybe tomorrow he would be more reasonable.

With a small sigh she turned and walked over to the fire before opening her sleeping bag and crawling in next to Kirara and Shippou.

Kagura listened to the girls breathing as it steadied and evened out, indicating she had fallen asleep. Miroku was in a deep trance like state, no doubt trying to calm his mind due to the events of the last few days, Sango was also only half aware of her surroundings. She stood and leapt from her branch, landing silently next to Inuyasha and putting a hand on his shoulder, startling him.

"Your coming with me." She said in a harsh whisper before she took out her fan and the two of them vanished in a small tornado that went unnoticed by those in the camp.

Meanwhile, Kagome's sleep was not as peaceful as it seemed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_Kagome's dreamscape:_

Kagome groaned as she opened her eyes only to find herself directly infront of a horde of Yokai that were only three feet infront of her their jaws wide open in preparation to devour her.

She screamed in reflex and leapt back, her hand reflexively moving towards her bow, only to find the weapon was missing. She began to panic when she noticed that the Yokai were moving no further. She looked a little closer and noticed a faint pink barier holding them back. _'A barrier?'_

She looked around for a few moments before the faint outline of a woman formed infront of her, she was almost transparent, the upper part of her body was visible while her legs were nearly invisible, only the small fluctuation in the air outlined them.

"Even here, with your purity, I am still weak." The strange ghost like woman spoke. "But it is only natural, my powers cannot last forever."

Kagome recovered from her slight shock and spoke, having sensed only the pure aura of a miko, not the angry one of a demon, or the sorrowful one of a spirit. As she got a closer look she noticed the tell tale diamond mark on her forehead that identified her as the legendary priestess.

"Midoriko?" She gasped out.

The ancient priestess groaned in pain and clutched her chest, collapsing on her knees as the Yokai continued to slam against the barrier.

Kagome moved forward and tried to grab her only to have her hands pass right through her form.

"I…have…little…time." She gasped as she panted for breath. "You must find him, help him."

"Help who? Who are you talking about?" She called huddling around the struggling spirit.

Her form seemed to fade for a moment before it materialized again. "Naruto." She gasped, further shocking the young girl. "You must find him, and help him, I do not know what intentions the nine tails possesses, its power is too great, and I cannot pierce the veil it has placed between Naruto and myself."

Kagome tried to grasp what the priestess was telling her but it was too much, too fast, so she asked the most obvious question. "Naruto's alive?"

Midoriko, struggled to remain but her form faded out and her barrier dissipated. Her voice, faint and weak drifted to Kagome along the passing breeze. "Find him. He suffers, even now."

With a bright flash of light, Kagome was thrown from her dreamscape and into the world of the living.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Meanwhile, with Kagura and Inuyasha.

The dog hanyou didn't have a chance to regain his bearings as Kagura's small tornado dissipated a few dozen yards away from the camp, well out of earshot, before the wind demoness backhanded him across the face…hard.

He stumbled back and glared at her, "Bitch, what was that for?" He snarled as he placed his hand on Tetsusaiga's hilt.

Kagura, graceful as ever, closed her fan, crossed her arms and glared right back. "Look, I know what happened is hard for you to swallow but you've got to get out of this stupid funk your in. It's making everyone miserable."

Inuyasha snarled, "Fuck off, its none of your business anyway?"

Kagura snorted, while still somehow keeping that graceful elegance about her. "Yeah right, we're wasting time here, with Naraku weakened his barriers cant be maintained so well, meaning well be able to find that blasted infant and kill it, thus killing Naraku. But with you dragging your feet and moping about, Naraku's going to recover and we'll have to kill him again before we have a shot at the kid."

Inuyasha snarled. "That's all you cared about huh? Heartless bitch, Naruto should have let Kouga have his revenge, seeing as you obviously don't give a rat's ass that he's dead."

As the words left his mouth he saw Kagura's eyes darken considerably.

"Just shut up." She bit out harshly. She looked away, her form tense and rigid. "I do care." She said after a moment. "I care because he was the only one that cared for me." She whispered as she hung her head. "But…" She said after a moment, her voice regaining its former strength. "Just because he died doesn't mean I can sit around and let what he did all be in vain. If you want to repay him for what you did then I sugest you get off your ass and do what you have to do."

She spoke, staring him dead in the eye, ruby red clashing with amber gold.

Before either of them could speak though a scream came from the camp. "AHHHH!!!!"

They both turned to the sound of Kagome's voice and rushed back to the camp.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sango absently continued running a stone over her Hiraikotsu.

She had seen it.

His smile.

She had seen it clear as day and it frightened her. _'Everyone I've ever loved is already dead.' _The words continued to eat away at her, again and again. She should have seen it, she should have known that he was suffering. Her pain was similar to his so why hadn't she done something?

He had always helped them, always placed the others before himself. She should have helped him. She should have…she should have…

She didn't know what she should have done but she should have done something. Perhaps…perhaps if she had he wouldn't have died. He welcomed death. Wanted it even.

It wasn't right in her mind, someone that always helped others through their pain, as he had done for her, as he had done for Kagome, that he himself suffer silently in the shadows.

Her thoughts were cut off as Kagome's ear piercing scream tore through the night, waking everyone.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kagome woke in cold sweat, panting hard as her heart beat wildly in her chest.

The others immediately crowded around her, Shippou who had been scared to death by her scream seeing as he was right next to her recovered relatively quickly and began tugging on her hand. "Kagome what's wrong?" He cried worriedly as Kagome continued panting.

Sango and Miroku were the next to approach her. "Are you all right?" The monk asked.

"What happened?" Inuyasha spoke, for practically the first time in three days.

Kagome looked up at each of their worried faces and smiled, tears of relief and happiness forming on her eyes. "Naruto…he's still alive!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Meanwhile a certain blond haired Anbu slowly, painfully opened his eyes meeting the familiar blood red of a certain nine tailed demon who gave a fanged grin.

"**You always did need my help, didn't you? Foolish mortal." **

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kinda short I know. Anyway, next chapter is the wonderful and long awaited confrontation between our former Jinchuuriki and the most feared and powerful demon in all the land. Hehehehehehehehehe.


	26. A challenge

HI GUYS.

Finally the long awaited reunion between demon fox and host. Mwahahahahaha. (Chokes on saliva in mid laugh)

Cough…Lets…cough…get on with the story.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto stared into the ruby red gaze that stared straight back at him through the darkness, dancing with lit up amusement. Slowly, a great feeling of fear and trepidation beginning to coil around his chest as he slowly began to look around the immediate area. No this shouldn't…_couldn't _be happening. He settled his eyes once again on the greatest demon to have ever walked the earth. "Kyuubi." He whispered, his voice hoarse and painful in his own throat.

**"You always were slow but I never thought it would take you this long to figure it out." **Came the demons voice in the same low rumbling tone Naruto remembered since almost seven or eight months since he last heard it.

There was a bright glow for a brief moment and then a woman. "Even I believed that you were faster than that, foolish mortal." Came the condescending tone that was distinctly female as a woman, with bright flaming red hair that cascaded down her back, completely straight and impeccable walked out of the shadows.

She held a cruel smirk, and was dressed in a blackish red form fitting armor, which left her stomach and her arms exposed.

Naruto slowly rose his mind seemingly in a daze, his body numb to the pain his stiff muscles and creaking joints brought to him. Slowly, the events that took place when he was last conscious returned to him.

The Kyuubi looked at Naruto, she had a pretty good idea of just how he had gotten to this time. She was no fool. When she was still sealed within him, he may have naturally lived through the ages, with her constantly regenerating and rejuvenating his organs so that they would not age, keeping him in all likelihood, immortal. However she was no longer sealed into the boy and the most his body would have been able to live without any illnesses caused by old age would be 80 or 90 after that, his system would have began deteriorating meaning that he would most likely die when he was 110 or 120.

So, she knew he had arrived here using…alternative means. And there were only a hand full of ways for him to arrive and he was actively pursuing one. It didn't take a genius to put the pieces of the puzzle together.

Sooooo, if she estimated correctly while to her, the fall of Konoha was about four and a half milenia ago to him it was just under a year ago. Therefore his reaction to her saving him would come in…three…two…one…

"No." Naruto spoke, his voice naught but a whisper.

"No." He spoke again, his hands moving to clutch his head as he started shaking, falling to his knees as his words of anguish and despair escaped his lips. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NOOOOOOOO!!!!!" He yelled his chakra spiking due to the torrent of emotions that came to him.

The floodgates opened and his entire soul felt as if it would tear itself apart from the great amount of pent up emotions he had held at bay. All he wanted was peace. He was so tired…so tired…all he wanted was rest. Why could even something as simple as this was denied him.

Kyuubi smirked. Just as expected. Now then… "What's the mater mortal? Angry that I saved you?"

Naruto's gaze snapped up to meet her own. His eyes shifting from blue, to purple, to red and then black to blue at random intervals. His face, though covered by a mask was obviously held in a vicious snarl of rage. "You…" His voice, held so much hatred and utter fury, mixed with pain that Kyuubi had to stop herself from flinching. Not even when he had faced the leader of the Akatsuki had his voice held such malevolence.

When he spoke, his chakra flared to even greater heights, the translucent energy growing until it was about fifteen feet wide and twenty feet high. His voice held a myriad of different emotions, many that Kyuubi could not place.

"Why? It was over. I was free, I could see them again. I didn't feel the pain any more. Why did you interfere? Why? Why? Why did you do it? WHY DID YOU SAVE ME!!!" His angry roar echoed across the cave and his chakra spiked again to even greater heights.

Naruto's eyes met her own in a fury of blue, purple and red. Kyuubi felt a slow taunting smirk tug at her lips. "Sooo." She drawled. "The little mortal wanted to die." Her words were dipped in acid and venom as her smirk turned into a fake smile of un-veiled contempt. "I never took you for a coward."

Naruto gave off a bloodcurdling roar of rage before he rushed forward with all the speed he could muster.

Kyuubi didn't even bother to put up her guard, she knew what was coming.

Naruto moved fast and in speed many normal humans and even high level demons would have trouble keeping up with he fought. He kicked and punched in a mad rage and finally ended his assault as he charged two Rasengan in each hand and slammed them into the Kitsune's chest, sending her flying back hitting the far wall of the cave which gave way under the stress, burying her in earth and rock.

Naruto panted, his breath coming in heaving gulps of air.

The entire cave was silent for but a moment before the area where Kyuubi had fallen exploded in a bright flash of crimson light that dwarfed Naruto's entirely. Blue met with red. The woman's features, once graceful and regal were now feral and wild, her hair whipping around in harsh winds cause by her increase in power.

She grinned, her enlarged canines showing through her closed lips as her eyes shown with preditorial amusement. "My turn!" Was her amused statement.

In a flash, her claws were ready and she vanished into thin air. If Naruto's speed was inhuman, then hers was that of gods.

Before Naruto could do anything short of breathe, three jagged claw marks tore through his armor, across his chest then again across his back, his right thigh and his entire left arm.

He gasped in pain and had to adjust his footing as his legs nearly gave way beneath him. Before he could do much else however, a firm clawed hand wrapped around his throat and carried him until his back was slammed against the cave wall.

He choked on his own blood and coughed violently. He opened his eyes and looked down to find that familiar blood red. He snarled the sound coming out in a very demonic fashion for a human.

Kyuubi however, remained unaffected as she smirked and caught his right wrist, in which he had charged yet another Rasengan with which to hit her. 'Well, it looks like your desire for death has not completely broken your fighting spirit." She remarked casually.

Naruto calmed somewhat, now being held still. He looked to the floor, his face apathetic, cold and distant. "Why, damnit?" The question, so simple yet so complicated.

For a brief moment her eyes seemed to soften before they grew hard again with anger. "Look at yourself." She spat. "You are not the same young man I was imprisoned within all those years ago. You're nothing but an impostor, a shell of your former self."

Naruto chuckled mirthlessly and spoke, without lifting his gaze from the cave floor. "So what? Its not any of your fucking business anyway." He chuckled again, his laugh seeming to grow more cold and distant. "You know…it's ironic…all my life I would have given anything to be rid of you. To finally lift your shadow from me. To lift the curse your presence brought upon me."

He then looked straight into her eyes, his mask crinkled upwards in his ever present smile, but his eyes, his deep sea blue eyes, shrouded in despair, finally revealed the broken spirit beneath the multitude of masks. She forced herself not to look away. She had seen many things during her eons upon eons of life but never had she seen someone so broken, so utterly defeated in this way, it made her cringe.

His smile widened. "And then my friends. I promised myself I would always take care of them. That I'd give everything to protect them…and yet…" His eyes closed in what was obviously a fake smile. "They died…while you lived."

Kyuubi frowned and sighed. "I hate that smile of yours."

Naruto chuckled again. "So do I." He whispered softly.

Kyuubi let out a small sad sigh, before slowly lowering him until his feet touched the ground and then released her grip on his neck. The wounds she had inflicted upon him were healing rapidly due to her chakra. As she released him his form seemed to slump as he leaned against the cave wall.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "You still haven't told me why."

She smirked and placed a hand in his top vest pocket, pulling out the fang she had given him a few months ago. "Good, you still have it." She remarked more to herself than to him. She then smirked and put vthe fang back in his pocket. "Find an old little demon named Totosai. He'll know what to do."

She then turned and moved to walk away, when Naruto grabbed her shoulder, stopping her mid stride. "At least grant me the truth Kyuubi. Why did you save me?"

The great demoness smirked as she turned and grabbed the front of his vest, pulling him so he was mere inches from her face. Her eyes glinted in the darkness of the cave, taking in his startled expression. "Because Naru-chan." She chided mockingly. "I like a challenge." She said before hooking a finger under his mask.

She pulled it down and then kissed the blond Anbu full on the lips. "And you are by far the most challenging thing that's come in the last millennia." Naruto only managed to catch a brief glimpse of her smirk before a bright red light consumed him.

All he could bring himself to do was smile the same smile that had graced his features his entire life.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Anyway, a little short I know but this was just to put into the story that Kyuubi has now come into play.

Anyway, The polls for the pairing is open again.

Naru/Kag

Naru/San

Naru/Kagu

Naru/Kik

Naru/Midoriko

And finally the new pairing I've decided to add Naru/Kyu or Naru/Kyu/another girl

I've put the way the pairing will develop with each female throughout the story.

With Kagome, Naruto has helped her to face and overcome some of her emotional distress, she can help him face his own demons (no pun intended). With Sango, they share a similar pain and just as he helped her in a way cope with her loss she can help him just as he helped her live with their respective loss.

With Kikyo he made her face the truths about herself and she will help him or make him face the truths about himself.

With Kagura, well, he is the first to have shown her true kindness they also share a similar pain of being resented or hated for something that was mostly beyond their control.

Midoriko as we know, already knows his secrets.

And Kyuubi ???? This one I'll keep to myself.

Think about who you choose carefully. Because the story will be affected by who ends up with Naruto. I've already thought of different endings for each girl and different endings for each girl should you choose to make the story a Naru/Kyu/X

I wont even start the next chapter for another week, just to give everyone a chance to read and vote. (Don't vote more than once, I read every name but having to add and subtract votes is quite annoying) Also every vote since before this chapter is null so vote again to those of you that voted before.

Anyway, read and review.


	27. If only for one night

Hi guys, I'M SO EXITED. I JUST GOT AN EMAIL SAYING THIS STORY HAS BEEN NOMINATED IN THE YAHOO GROUP FEUDAL ASSOSIATION FOR BEST INUYASHA FANFIC!!!!

This was a major shock to me, and it compelled me to write this chap, however short, I want to make it perfectly clear that I am not updating for the people that have been 'demanding' an update for the past three days or so. I stated perfectly clearly that the update would be a week at minimum and votes still haven't stopped coming in so in reality this update shouldn't even be here.

The next time you begin to nag at me to 'hurry up and update' your favorite story I want you all to remember that I do this for fun. It is not a job or an obligation, this is the exact same reason specula stopped his writings, I update almost every day or every other day. If I don't update your favorite story for a while, I don't mind you asking once or twice if I've quit but when I give you an explanation as to why the story hasn't been updated then just fucking accept it and don't nag at me for an update, because I am quite frankly not obligated to give it.

Oh yes and also people…there is a reason bleach was never mentioned in my list of possible future crossover fics. Its quite simple really…I DON'T KNOW SHIT ABOUT BLEACH… I know, many of you are shocked and appalled at this but it is true, there are people in this world that do not watch bleach. All I know is that there is some fucking kid called Ichigo with spiky orange hair, and a big ass sword that fights ghost.

So unless one of you is willing to either give me a link in which I can read the manga or sit the fuck down and explain the series word for word in a way that'll get me interested then I suggest that the two dozen or so people that have been hounding me for a bleach crossover learn now that it isn't going to happen. I stated very clearly which series I had plans for crossover fics and bleach was obviously not on the list.

Anyway now that my rant is over with and I've blown off some steam. Lets get on with the story.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Blackness. That is all that he really knew, as his mind awoke again into consciousness.

Such weariness he had not yet known capable of existing, clouded his mind and coated his muscles and bones. Slowly, he opened his eyes, glazed over blues stared dully at the starry sky.

He sat at the base of a tree his entire body felt like a block of lead, his head throbbed with pain.

Everything just hurt, his heart, his body, even his very soul, tore away at him. Why did everything hurt so much? Why was it that the burdens were placed on his shoulders alone.

First, it was that of the Kyuubi, then…in a way it was the Akatsuki's persecution of him and finally it was to be the last living remnant of his world. A constant reminder in and of itself, that everyone he once loved was now dead.

A small, sad smile graced his features as his eyes clouded over with tears. _Tsunade, Jiraiya, Kakashi, Iruka, Sakura…_

He missed them, more than any would ever know.

Tsunade and her addictive gambling habits, Kakashi, his laid back attitude, always showing up late reading that stupid book, Jiraiya, getting his ass grinded into powder by the females he peeked on whenever he got caught. Shizune, her soft demeanor and kind disposition whenever he got injured. Iruka, ever the worried mother hen, constantly checking on him. Sakura, much like an older sister. Lee, the crazy cousin that everyone liked but no one wanted to be around for too long.

Kiba, the annoying bastard that constantly competed with him. Shino, the quiet guy that observed everyone in the room, the one you knew that despite the fact you didn't talk much, that he would back you up should shit hit the fan and you'd do the same for him.

Tenten, they had grown close a few months before…before the final battle. Mainly when her and Neji broke up, Lee had been out on a mission with Gai and she had no one to really turn to. He had walked into her weapons shop and found her sniffling. The rest as they say…is history.

Hinata, the girl that had loved him from the shadows.

Ino, the girl that was almost as loud as him.

Shikamaru, the lazy bastard that just pissed you off after spending too much time with him and hearing his constant mutters of 'Troublesome'

And Chouji the chubby, 'big boned' guy that always seemed to be the 'Jolliness' of the party.

Neji, the stoic kid that you had to beat some sense into every now and then.

He wanted to blame someone. A part of him wanted to blame the Kyuubi, blame her entirely for all of his suffering. First because of the hate and prejudice he suffered at the hands of the villagers and then, the attacks of the Akatsuki that destroyed his home and took the lives of those precious to him.

But…perhaps because of his nature, his upbringing, or because she had once been a part of him he could not bring himself to let the blame rest solely upon her. There was no doubt that she was partly to blame, but while Kyuubi may have attacked the village. She did not dictate the actions of the villagers.

From ignorance, from fear, or just because of simple human nature, they chose, they _chose _to hate him. They could have seen things differently, they could have had faith in their former Hokage. But they _chose _the easier path.

Then…the Akatsuki. Why was it that humans were so effective at killing eachother? You know…when a spider eats its own offspring, humans feel appalled and some say. "How could they? They're killing their own kind."

Don't humans do the same?

Akatsuki, in their greed, in their arrogance, or simply their lust for war and power _chose _to try to raise themselves above the heavens. To do what no mortal was meant to do. To control _immortals. _

Perhaps…even he himself was to blame. Perhaps he himself was selfish, in his desire to remain with his friends, he had placed them all in danger, never once thinking of the repercussions of his actions. He had simply smiled, with foolish, naïve hope that everything would simply work out.

It didn't.

And as a result. He had lost everything.

So the blame was everywhere, everyone was perhaps partially to blame.

But still…why had he survived? Why did he have to continue on with the weight of lost souls holding him, gripping him for all they were worth.

He took a shaky breath as tears, softly shining in the pale moonlight trailed down his cheeks.

He just…wanted to rest…he was tired…so tired.

As the darkness claimed him again, he could hear soft laughter, in his minds eye, he could see all of his friends, laughing, smiling as they did before, when things were still so simple.

It was a dream, he knew. But…perhaps…just for tonight, he could pretend again. Perhaps for one night…he could have peace again.

If only for one night.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Anyway, here's the update read and review, tell me what you think please.


	28. Hello Rin is Rin

Hi guys here I am.

Anyway, finally here is the long awaited update for Naruto of the Shikon. Not sure which I will update next between The Void or Lost soul and inspiration is beginning to return for The strength of brothers so there may be an update for that sometime in the near future.

Also, a lot of the people said they didn't vote for Midoriko or Kikyo because their both 'Dead' Honestly, I'm insulted to think you believed I wouldn't remedy that situation. (Shakes head somberly) Oh well.

Anyway, lets get on with the story.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto's eyes slowly opened. The rays of the morning sun, just beginning to rise over the horizon bathing the area in a soothing orange glow. He let out a small sigh and just sat there for a while, willing himself to gather the strength to at least get through the day.

Soon however he felt two chakra signatures, at the edges of his somewhat dimmed senses. They were both small, one was distinctly demonic while the other was human. How odd.

He stood slowly, his stiff muscles and sore bones protesting against his movement. He began walking towards the two chakra sources eventually taking to the tree's to keep his stealth.

Soon, the sound of a childs voice reached his ears, it was distinctly familiar. Then he could hear the words. "Ah-Un do you know where Sesshomaru-sama went. Rin is scared." The voice of a little girl. Then when the names registered in his mind he immediately knew who they were. The young girl that traveled with Sesshomaru and his two headed dragon steed.

He finally leapt to a branch where he could observe the dragon and young girl. The little girl was riding on the dragons back, looking around with a somewhat scared gaze as the shadows of the forest seemed to encroach on them.

For a moment he contemplated scaring the girl with a genjutsu, but eventually decided against it. He was about to leap away when he decided to check the surrounding area, spreading out his senses in all directions and realized that Sesshomaru was nowhere near the area.

His eyes narrowed somewhat. Had Sesshomaru decided to abandon the girl. His reasons for taking her in was a mystery in itself so perhaps he had merely tired of her presence and the dragon had merely fallen behind.

He sighed, abandoned or not he wasn't about to leave her abandoned in the middle of the woods without the demon lord around.

He sighed again before silently leaping down.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The lord of the western lands was not used to defeat.

The feeling of being beaten by another had scarcely occurred in his life. Only against his father had he ever experienced true defeat and to some small extent, when Inuyasha had cut off his arm, though he knew it was because of simple underestimation of your opponent that such a thing had occurred.

Now however, he was experiencing a feeling of complete defeat and mind numbing pain to go with it.

He did not know what had occurred, one second he had been sitting in the middle of his camp the next, he and Jaken had been surrounded by a red light and they had reappeared somewhere in the east shores, as he recognized some of the plants in the area from an excursion he had during his childhood with his father when he moved to propose an alliance with the eastern wolf tribes.

_Flashback: _

_As the red light that had surrounded him finally dissipated and he realized rather quickly where he was he began looking around. _

_He noticed that Jaken was laying in a heap nearby, still sleeping, the worthless toad. A graceful laughter reached his ears, melodic in its tone. He turned and saw a woman, with fiery red hair and a Kitsune tail floating down to stand on the shifting sands of the beach. _

_"Hn, so I finally get to meet the son of the great dog general face to face." She seemed to look him up and down for a moment before she spoke, her small, confident smile never leaving her face. "I must say your father was certainly much more enticing specimen than you are." _

_Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed slightly at the disrespect few people dared to give. "Wench, I know not why you have brought me here nor do I care, you will return me to my encampment or face the consequences of your foolish actions." _

_She laughed again, mockingly. "Please foolish pup, your father could barely hold a candle to me, you are no more than a chew-toy to me." _

_He snarled before rushing forward, unsheathing Tokijin and attacking. Swinging the blade in an arc that would have cut her stomach open he was immensely surprised when she merely stopped the incoming attack with just two fingers, catching the blade between them. _

_His eyes narrowed and he pushed a good portion of his Yoki into the blade, delivering a full powered dragon blast at point blank range. He was confident she would be mere shreds when the dust cleared. _

_Which was why he could not stop his lips from parting in surprise as the dust settled and it revealed the woman without a single scratch on her grinning a grin that was a mix between one of Naruto's old foxy grins and one of Orochimaru's old "I'm a walking therapeutic failure" grin. _

_"How rude." She drawled before yanking the sword out of his hand and kicking him with enough force to break both his armor and his ribs in a single blow, not to mention knocking the wind right out of him. _

_He hit the sand and rolled a few times before he came to a stop on his hands and knees, clutching his chest, coughing up blood, while simultaneously trying to get air back in his lungs. He looked up and glared at the woman who now casually held his blade, Tokijin, with one hand on the blade itself. _

_She tossed it up in the air and caught it by the hilt, closed one eye and examined the blade, giving it a few test swings, she 'tsked'. "My, my, my how craftsmanship has been lost in the years I've been resting." She said in mock sadly before she did something that shocked him greatly. _

_She tossed the blade in the air and with a snap of her fingers it shattered into millions of tiny pieces that looked more like dust than anything else. _

_He stood glaring at the woman who merely smiled. _

_She spoke again, this time igniting the full force of his fury. "My, my such a foolish dog, your father would have certainly been ashamed of how weak you turned out to be." _

_His eyes bled into red and he transformed into his true form snarling and growling at her, his acidic saliva hissing as it touched the ground. _

_Kyuubi's eyes seemed to gain a malicious gleam in them as she stared up at the pristine white fur that was Sesshomaru's true form. She placed a hand over her mouth as she spoke her next words, with some amusement in them. "Hn, my so angry. Very well. Lets see how long you last." _

_Sesshomaru growled low and deep in his throat as chakra swirled about her form, growing in size and intensity of the heat until it was like standing infront of a furnace. Finally the chakra dissipated revealing a two tailed Kitsune who stood on equal height with the great dog. _

_The fox appeared to be grinning and Sesshomaru soon heard a voice in his head. **"Well then let us see what you can do, son of Inu-no-Taicho." **_

****

_The message was as clear as day. _

_You can never measure up to your father. _

_Flashback end: _

He didn't remember much after that, but the fact that he couldn't smell any blood other than his own nearby indicated that she had been the victor and apparently, without receiving a single injury. It was quite……humbling and alarming. He had not sensed any false strength, not even the Shikon, meaning that all that strength was hers alone.

How could someone so powerful have evaded every ones knowledge for such a long time? It was mind boggling, even his father had never said anything of such a powerful being.

He groaned in pain, Jaken was still unconscious, most likely placed under some kind of spell.

He groaned in pain again and stood shakily, he could not stay here. He had to get to Rin. She wouldn't last more than two days even with Ah-Un there to defend her.

He struggled to lift himself using his right arm to lean against the cave wall he struggled to walk, finally he reached the entrance of he cage where a red transparent barrier had been set up.

He snarled, he would no doubted have to wait until his strength returned to him before he had enough strength to undo the barrier set up by the strange demoness.

He then noticed a small scroll at the entrance of the cave, he knelt down and picked it up, he unrolled it and began to read.

_'Well then pup, since your reading this I assume you managed to drag your sorry carcass here. Know that there is only one attack that you can allow you to escape this prison and it can only be achieved with that blade that you have on your side.' _

Sesshomaru looked down to the Tensusaiga. A blade he had long ago deemed unworthy of battle and narrowed his eyes. What game was that demoness playing.

_'If you can discover a way to use the Tensusaiga properly in one month and escape I will give you back your left arm. If not…well then you wont get anything except your freedom and if you cannot even gain that well then, you will starve and die. Enjoy yourself Son of Inu-no-Taicho. Oh and do nolt worry about the girl she is safe and you may track her down should you escape.' _

He growled low in his throat and burned the scroll with his acidic Yoki. He sat down and closed his eyes, he would need to rest in order to gather his strength.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rin was jerked away from her looking into the trees as Ah-Un spun around nearly knocking her clear off her seat. The dragon growled and she had to clear the cobwebs before she was able to look at a strange blond man wearing a mask walking out of the shadows with what appeared to be a smile on his face.

Rin stared at the strange man and blinked owlishly at him as he simply smiled back, his eyes as upside down U's. He lazily held up a hand and waved "Hiya"

Rin still blinked at him with those wide brown eyes as if he was the most fascinating thing ever. While Ah-Un continued to growl.

Naruto refrained the urge to shift from foot to foot as she continued to stare at him.

Finally after a good five minutes she patted Ah-Un on the head and the creature stopped growling, staring at Naruto with a cautious gaze, Naruto raised an eyebrow but did not comment on it.

"Hello Man with funny hair. Rin is Rin and Ah-Un is Ah-Un." She introduced herself in her own way. Naruto smiled and stepped forward cautiously stretching out a hand to one of Ah-Un's heads. One head sniffed his palm slightly before nuzzling it slightly, indicating he was allright.

Naruto smiled at the little girl and stretched out is hand. Hello Rin, my name is Naruto."

She beamed up at him and shook his hand exuberantly. "Hello Naruto-sama."

He chuckled softly at her exuberant nature, it reminded him of Moegi. He shook his head slightly to push away the memories and smiled down at the young girl. "Well Rin-chan mind telling me what a cute little girl like you is doing out here?" He said poking her stomach, earning a giggle from the girl.

She then grew somber and began looking around. "I was looking for Sesshomaru-sama." Her eyes began to tear up. "He-he wasn't there when I woke up. Sesshomaru-sama is always there when I wake up."

He patted the girl on the head and kneeled down so as to be at eyelevel. "Hey now…I'm sure Sesshomaru-sama is just fine. Tell you what, how about you come with me for a while and you can go back with him when he comes back to get you."

She sniffled and looked up. "Really?" She asked her lower lip jutting out in a cute way that just made his heart warm up in a way that he hadn't felt since the destruction of his home. He smiled a warm welcoming smile at the girl and nodded. "Of course and hey, we may just find him on the way to where I'm going."

She beamed up at him again. "Yay!" She somehow managed to clamp on his neck with a vice like grip. He chuckled and pulled her back slightly, setting her on Ah-Un's saddle. He grabbed the dragons regns and handed them to her. "Come on. We're going north."

She smiled and nodded, patting Ah-Un again the dragon turned and walked side by side with the ninja.

Naruto let his eyes travel to the beaming child and felt a small smile quirk on his lips.

Who knows? Perhaps this trip won't be so boring after all.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kinda short but meh, anyway, read and review please.


	29. Not so old anymore

Hn, surprisingly, I got an irresistible urge to update this instead of Lost Soul or The Void…so here I am.

Also NO Kyuubi is not just two tails she was just holding back her power Sesshomaru would barely reach her ankle if she was to go full nine tails on him.

Anyway, here's the update. Rejoice!

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"And then Jaken-sama's eyes grew so big they looked like…like…they would pop out of his head" Was Rin's exuberant voice as she moved her arms around excitedly trying to further emphasize her point.

Naruto chuckled as he had to steady the girl before she fell off of Ah-Un in what would no doubt be a rather painful fall.

He released her and he smiled at her beaming face, he put a single finger to his chin and assumed a thinking pose. "Hmmmmm……can you show me just……how big his eyes were? I can't really picture it." He said fooling with her.

She nodded and cupped her eyes in her hands, forming her palms into 'O's while trying to widen her eyes as much as possible. "They were this big!" She said, Naruto couldn't help it, he burst out laughing and nearly cried tears of mirth as she blinked at him, her face the picture of confusion.

He finally calmed down and smiled at her confused expression before ruffling her hair. "You're a good girl Rin." He said, ruffling her hair as she beamed up at him.

He smiled but then a low growl rumbled through the area, Rin looked down at her stomach and blushed cutely while Naruto raised an eyebrow with an amused smile on his face.

"Well now I think someone's hungry." He said chuckling. 'Why didn't you tell me?" He asked looking at her sheepish and slightly apologetic expression.

"Ummm….Rin didn't want you to think Rin was a bu-bur." She tried to form the words she had always heard Jaken say about her but it wouldn't come.

"Burden?" He finally prodded after he caught on to what she was trying to say.

She smiled cheerfully, as if he had just made a brilliant discovery, and nodded exuberantly. "Jaken-sama always says that since Rin is a weak Nigen and that Rin is a bu-bu-."

"Burden." He said again.

"Yup." She said "To Sesshomaru-sama."

Naruto made a mental note to dismember the stupid toad when he met him. "And what does Sesshomaru say?"

She thought for a moment. "Sesshomaru-sama doesn't say anything, but Jaken sama always has something bad happen to him when he finishes saying that."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Like?"

"Well there was this one time that a rock hit him in the head. He usually goes to sleep when that happens. (Knocked out she just doesn't know how to say it.) Then another time a tree fell on his head. (Sesshomaru cut a branch above his head but she doesn't know how to say it…and she didn't actually see him do it.) Then another time Ah-Un stepped on him and one time…"

"Okay okay." He said waving his hands to stop her before she got carried away. He smiled and knelt down to be at eyelevel. "Well you don't have to worry about that. Your no burden. Just a cute little girl."

She beamed at him but her smile dropped as he seemed to eye her critically. She fidgeted nervously under his gaze but said nothing.

"Say Rin." He spoke calmly. "When was the last time you washed behind your ears?"

"Huh?" She blinked owlishly.

"I said…when was the last time you washed your ears?" He spoke calmly I've seen some dirty ears in my day but this…" He leaned in and seemed to grab something behind her ear, when the girl looked at his hand she saw a bright yellow flower. "Is really really bad." He said smiling at the girls astonished face. She began to furiously scratch behind her ears trying to see if there were more of the flowers back there. He smiled and laughed. That was probably the cheapest trick in the book back in Konoha, but here…heh. Just one flower and they'll go crazy.

He leaned down and presented the yellow piece of foliage to her. "Would you like to keep it?"

She stopped scratching behind her ears and looked at the flower. She beamed at him again. He just couldn't get enough of that smile of hers. He smiled back but when she moved to grab the flower he gently caught her wrist stopping her. When she looked up at him with a questioning gaze he merely smiled, released her wrist and placed the yellow flower, in her hair, right under the cloth that kept a clump of her hair in a form of side ponytail.

"There."

She smiled and again latched onto his neck in a hug with a suprising amount of strength. He laughed lightheartedly. It felt so good to laugh like that again, after so long. His laughs, were usually weighed down, by veiled sadness and despair, but this laugh was free of such things. It was a simple carefree laugh at the happiness he could bring himself, by making a young girl happy, even with the simplest of things.

He stood, but this time instead of setting her down on Ah-Un's saddle he hefted her up so that she was sitting on his shoulders. She squealed in surprise and grabbed a clump of his blond hair holding herself in place. He laughed, ignoring the slight pain to his scalp. 'Well now." He spoke. 'How about we find ourselves a river where we can make camp. I'll get you some food then." He awkwardly looked up at her as she leaned forward looking down at him. With that same childish smile of hers she nodded furiously, making him laugh again. "Good."

He turned back to the two headed dragon at his side. 'Come on Ah-Un."

The dragon nodded and watched as the small human girl he had become fond of laughed cheerfully as the strange blond haired human carried her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Inu-Taichi sat in a small camp, currently only Kagome, Miroku, Sango Kirara and young Shippou sat in the group. Kagome was cooking some fish Miroku and Shippou had caught while Sango rested her eyes as she leaned against a tree. Miroku continued to pour himself over some maps and scrolls he had brought with him in hopes of finding some clue as to where their companion might be.

Suddenly Inuyasha dropped down to their right. Kagome looked at him with slightly tired eyes. "Found anything yet?"

He shook his head. "Nothing, not even a whiff of his scent."

Kagura suddenly dropped down from the skies. 'I haven't found anything either, the winds are strangely silent, but some whisper some strange word, ancient or antique, I cant figure out what it means.

Kagome sighed and buried her face in her hands. "This is hopeless, were seven people looking for one guy that could be anywhere in Japan, how the hell are we gonna find him and Naraku's heart before he recovers and can have the strength to hide it from us again?'

The air grew somber and a heavy silence descended upon the group as none of them really knew how to respond. Shippou jumped on her lap. "Don't worry Kagome. I'm sure we'll find him soon."

She smiled but a feminine voice from the tree's made the entire group jump and raise their weapons. "You should listen to the young kittling little girl. I thought a priestess would have more faith than that."

The entire group turned as a woman with a red fox tail and bright red eyes floated down from the skies onto the forest floor.

"My, my, my what an odd group." She said chuckling to herself. "A miko, a hanyou, a monk, and demon slayer, a demoness born from a parasite, a neko and a little kitsune."

The group tensed and Miroku spoke up his brow was dabbed with beads of sweat. "Inuyasha, this woman has a similar demonic aura as the one that took Naruto."

'Keh." He scoffed unsheathing Tetsusaiga. "Well then bitch, you gonna tell us where he is or am I gonna half to beat it out of you?"

She smirked, "Oh brash Hanyou, I have come here for neither option. I merely came to tell you to cease your search for him. He will return to the old Miko's village when he is ready."

"Yeah right like, I'll believe that!" Inuyasha said before lunging at her. "Iron reaver soul ste…" He was cut off as the woman vanished and he suddenly felt searing pain throughout his entire body. He barely had time to scream before he fell unconscious, and hit the dirt with a thud.

"Inuyasha!" The others yelled startled. He had slashes and tears all along his body, it looked as if he had just gone through a meat grinder.

"He'll live, but perhaps that will keep you all occupied…at least for the time being." They turned again and saw the strange woman was already leaving.

The fact that they believed her to be the one who had taken Naruto, someone who had become a precious friend to their group, and the fact that she had just injured Inuyasha spurred them on.

"HIRAIKOTSU!"

"FUIN NO MAI!"

The large boomerang soared through the air heading for the demoness with razor sharp blades of wind trailing behind it.

Kyuubi merely turned her head slightly, smirking at their foolishness. Before she rounded fully and batted the giant boomerang away with a dismissive flick of her wrist. She placed a hand infront of her and the wind blades formed a circle in her palm, with two small sounds two balls of wind energy flew back to the wind demoness and demon slayer, hitting both of them in the stomach and sending them flying, crashing through trees and into the realm of blissful unconsciousness.

Miroku stepped in next, he threw several Sutras, a fusion of both holly power and ninjutsu seals.

As the sutras approached her she merely touched each of the papers, turning them into a purple blue color. They swirled together and rushed back to Miroku, hitting him with the force of a freight train. One sutra slapped itself over his mouth the other over his eyes, he struggled to take them off but it proved fruitless.

Kyuubi was about to turn away again when a pearlescent glow caught her attention, she turned again and saw an arrow, practically pulsing with holy energy was heading straight for her, it was impressive for one so small. She placed her hand infront of it expecting the arrow to dissipate as soon as it came into contact with her Yoki but was surprised as the arrow seemed to resist her power for several seconds until it finally withered and burnt to ash.

She looked at her slightly smoking hand in surprised bewilderment before turning to the equally astonished (For more or less the same reasons girl)

She smirked, her white fangs glistening in the moonlight as she stepped closer to the Miko who was already notching another arrow into her bow. With a quick flick of her wrist the bow was cut in half, a yoki whip similar to sessSomaru's coiling back into her fingers. "That's enough of that." She said with her familiar smirk.

"STAY AWAY FROM KAGOME!" She heard before a blue flame hit her arm. It would have taken off another's arm, but to her it was a mere tingling sensation.

She looked to a small orange blur that lunged at her, she leaned back, avoiding the tiny creature. Shippou, landed and tried to lunge at her again, always aiming at one of three arteries, in either the hip, the left arm or the jugular in the neck. She was surprised by his tenacity but when he landed again she had two claws almost touching his forehead. She smirked at his scared expression.

She pushed her fingers a little closer but was surprised when a holy barrier impeded her path. She turned to the young priestess again, who had formed her most powerful barriers around both herself and the little kit. To any other demon it would have proven effective.

But…this was no ordinary demon…this was The Kyuubi No Kitsune. The most powerful being to have walked in either earth or hell, none dared to challenge her power and live. She smirked and pushed her fingers through the barrier which shattered like delicate china when it hits the floor and touched Shippous forehead.

The little Kitsune's green eyes flashed red for a moment before he fell back his eyes rolling to the back of his head.

"Shippou!" Kagome cried as she rushed at him, undoing her barrier she placed herself between the red-headed demoness and the young fox kit. "What have you done to him, she said glaring at her while holding back tears.

Kyuubi merely smiled and began floating away as silently as she had come. "Remember little Miko, he will return when he is ready."

She floated until she was twenty feet in the air before a bright red flash of light illuminated the night sky for a mere second and she was gone. Leaving a decimated group to pick up the pieces.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Meanwhile, Naruto watched as Rin slept peacefully after having eaten her fill of the fish he had caught in the river. When she had seen him in the water physically catching the fish she said she had wanted to try.

The results had been……less than dry.

He had laughed at her when she had sputtered out the water that had gone up her nose when she fell in the water, she had pouted cutely and after several more tries she had asked him how he did it.

So he had shown her, telling her how to control her breathing and relax herself so as not to startle the fish, she was definitely less than perfect, but what she lacked in talent she made up with in determination.

She was a lot like him in that respect.

At least during his younger days.

Hn…younger days…that's what old people said.

He chuckled bitterly, perhaps he was old, they do say your as young as you feel, if so he felt like he was centuries old.

He sighed and let his hand idly push back a small strand of hair from Rin's head. She giggled and snuggled closer to his hand for warmth. He smiled fondly.

Suddenly…he felt like he was seventy again.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Hi guys. Well here ya go. Also, some people said in the last chap that they were disappointed because nothing had 'happened' well, that's because it's a filler, just as this one, this is a filler arc that will last a couple of chapters as this marks the…healing process.

Rin, I thought is the perfect one for this job. So here she is.

Anyway, read and review please tell me what you think. If anyone has any ideas as to how to further Naruto's and Rin's interaction please tell me.


	30. So begins a rebirth

Here I am again.

Two people really need to get their minds out of the gutter. When I said Naruto and Rin's relationship I never NEVER meant it as a romantic relationship. More like an older brother/little sister or uncle/niece maybe even something of a father/daughter thing, though Sesshomaru has that part of Rin's heart no doubt.

Also to the people who were confused by the last statement in the last chapter. When I said Naruto felt like he was seventy again, I did not mean literally, he hasn't lived for seventy years. What I meant was that because of everything that has happened in his life he felt very old, in the last chap I pointed out that he felt as if he was centuries old, when he looked at Rin though the burden was somehow lessened and he didn't feel as old as he did. I put the number seventy to signify that even though he's healing he still has a way to go before he's even remotely back to his old self.

Anyway, now that that's cleared up lets get on with the story.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sesshomaru growled low in his throat as the red barrier continued to mock him as it glowed happily at the entryway of the cave. He had tried everything, his whips, his demonic strength, he would have transformed into his true form but something was repressing his ability to do so.

Jaken had awoken a few hours earlier, but after about three minutes of his annoying blabbering the Taiyokai of the west had thrown a pebble, hitting him square between the eyes knocking him right the fuck out.

He contemplated for a moment breaking around the barrier but decided against it for two reasons. The first is that he doubted the female Yokai, powerful as she was would do something as stupid as leave such a glaring hole in her prison and the second was because he was way, way, way to stubborn to admit that he couldn't break through a simple barrier.

So his only choice was to follow the female Yokai's words and discover the secret Tenseiga possessed that could destroy this barrier.

He unsheathed the blade and lightly tapped the reddish barrier with the life bringing weapon watching as the glow rippled slightly. He looked down at the blade, he felt it pulse slightly, but it wasn't anything strong.

If he were any other, he would have sighed instead he merely shifted himself into a more comfortable position and remained standing, the answers would come to him. They always did.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"NARUTO-SAMA!!!!"

"Hmmm?" Came his voice as he opened a single eye, awakening from his slumber as a little girl bounded up to him carrying three fishes beaming up at him. She was moving very very fast, so fast infact that before he could fully wake up she skidded to a stop right infront of him. Kicking u dust everywhere she smiled at him and held up her three fishes happily smiling. "Look Naruto-sama! Rin caught fish."

He blinked for a moment before looking her up and down. She was absolutely soaked, no doubt she had gone back to the river and caught the fishes on her own. He looked at the fishes in her hand and was surprised that she didn't seem squeamish like many young girls would be of the slimy scales grasped in her fingers.

He grasped the fishes and spoke, somewhat lazily. "Rin…did you go by yourself?"

She nodded, still smiling.

He nodded and spoke up again. "Don't ever go to the river by yourself again, without either me or Ah-Un."

Her smile was replaced by a confused frown. "Why? Naruto-sama?"

He stood and took out a cloth placing two fish on it to keep them from the dirt he began skinning one. "Because, without me or Ah-Un there you could get hurt. A Yokai could attack you, or you could trip and hurt yourself in the river." _'Or worse'_ he added silently.

Rin nodded "Okay Naruto-sama."

He smiled at her. "Good, now go and wake Ah-Un, we'll be leaving as soon as we have breakfast." He said. The child nodded happily and ran off to the two headed dragon a few yards away. Naruto smile as she heard her whisper softly in the dragons 'ear' making the beast stir. One head woke and looked around dazedly before its eyes settled on Rin. It seemed to smile before it licked her cheek making her giggle, while also coating her with saliva, Naruto gave a slightly amused, kinda grossed out grin at that. But she merely giggled and hugged the dragon head.

He shook his head and flipped the fish over to take the scales off the other side.

Finally, he looked to the logs that had been burning all night, there was still enough tinder among the ash to keep a good fire going so making a few simple hand seals he blew out a small stream of flames lighting it in seconds.

He heard a gasp to his side and saw Rin staring at him as if his head had just blown up. He then remembered that it was Ah-Un who had lit the fire last night not him.

He smiled at her completely astonished expression and spoke. 'Surprised?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

She nodded dumbly. He chuckled at her expression. It was priceless.

His eyes, filled with mirth smiled at her. But then his eyes seemed to cloud over and he stared at her as if she was someone else. Without even thinking he spoke. "Would you…like to learn?" He asked slowly.

Rin's eyes widened almost comically and she suddenly let out this ear piercing squeal, making him resist covering his ears and doubling over in pain before she managed to tackle him, somehow she had gotten the speed of a Jounin in 0.000000000½ seconds and had gained the strength of a pissed off Akimichi in the process.

"NARUTO-SAMA WILL TEACH RIN MAGIC!!!!!" She squealed again her arms in around his neck in a powerful vice.

He managed to laugh despite his current lack of oxygen.

He patted her head affectionately. He didn't know why he had offered. It had just come out. He didn't regret it though, he just wished he knew why he acted so rashly.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Roughly three hours later. (One hour to pry Rin off, the second to cook and eat breakfast and the last to get her to calm down enough to sit still) Naruto smiled as he finished. "There!" He said smiling slightly.

Rin blinked as she tried to stare at the strange symbol on her forehead, she obviously failed miserably but Naruto found no ends of amusement watching her face scrunch up with effort and her tongue stick out from her mouth.

She had eight symbols on her. The Kanji for the numbers one through eight were brushed onto her skin. Beginning just above the left temple and ending at her heart. Naruto had done the process quickly so as not to embarrass the girl. The numbers were painted over the exact eight spots where the celestial gates were in the body.

He grasped her shoulders and made her look him in the eyes. "Rin…its very important that you listen to me, this procedure might hurt, or it can be painless, it depends from person to person, also, there is a chance that it wont work at all. So I don't want you to get your hopes up okay."

She smiled happily and leaned up to give him a pat on the head. Naruto blinked owlishly at her as she merely smiled up at him in her delightful way. "Naruto-sama can do it." She chirped.

He stared at her slightly dumbfounded before he broke out into a warm smile. He placed one hand over her heart, where the last symbol was and another over her head, his thumb resting on the first.

"Ready?" He asked gently

She nodded with a smile on her face.

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes with a small smile hidden beneath his mask his chakra swirled about him.

It entered her coil system, through the first and last of the eight chakra gates. This procedure was used by civilians that found themselves drafted into the Shinobi business at times of a villages great need, this had only been used a few times, mainly during Konoha's founding. Since civilians did not use their chakra coils for anything other than its natural use which helped maintain the inner organs the coils later on could not be used for more than that without extensive training and conditioning and even then they would be mediocre at best.

This method was a quick, if perhaps a bit painful in some cases to widen chakra pathways into a more manageable way. Children's chakra pathways were easier to handle than adults hence why they started so young. The only reason he was really doing this was because after nearly half a millennia without the use of chakra the human species may no longer have the manageability of it as they had back in his time.

She gasped at the sensation as his chakra moved through her pathways, power long forgotten tingled beneath her skin and she could feel small pin pricks of electricity courcing through her.

Naruto controlled his vast reserves as best he could moving it through her, the chakra coils were just large enough to move the minimum amount throughout her body. Slowly, as gently as possible he began to expand them. He heard her gasp again, but she seemed in no real pain and so he continued.

He expected her pathways to stop expanding at what would have been a civilians level back in Konoha but was surprised as they continued expanding, continued spreading out. In the end, he was forced to stifle a small gasp. The end result was that her pathways were almost the size of an average gennin. It was amazing considering both the fact that she had not inherited this and that she was considerably younger than most gennin were back in his village.

He oppened his eyes again and saw Rin staring at her hands in utter astonishment as blue chakra…her chakra swirled around her.

He smiled gently. "How do you feel?"

"Rin feels…"She began, but stopped as the chakra died down and she fell forward, asleep.

Naruto caught her and smiled. He lifted her up with both arms, the child snuggled against him sighing happily. He chuckled at that. "Did you faint on purpose Rin?" He asked her unconscious form. He chuckled again as she snuggled closer into him. He walked back towards his camp site where Ah Un was waiting with a few dead Rabits the dragon had hunted while he was out.

The dragon raised both heads and walked over at a brisk pace nuzzling Rin in concern as he had never seen the child in that state without it being night time.

Naruto smiled and patted Ah-Un on the head. 'Don't worry Ah-Un. She's fine just a little tired, she'll be fine by tomorrow." He said setting her down on the bundle of cloths he had used to make her a bed.

"My my my working on rebuilding the village already I see." Came a very familiar voice.

Ah-Un growled and stood, shielding both Naruto and Rin from the newcomer as she walked out of the shadows of the forest.

The red headed woman raised a hand and waved it infront of the beasts faces. "Sleep."

And just like that the dragon Yokai fell in a dull heap.

Naruto covered the young girl in her blankets before he stood to face the Kitsune. They stared at each other a few moments before Naruto turned to the right and began walking back to the river. Kyuubi watched him as he reached the edge of the camp and turned back to look at her over his shoulder.

"Not coming?" He asked her before continuing down to the river.

She raised a perfect eyebrow before following silently.

Moments later they found themselves at the edge of the riverbank. Naruto washed his hands free of the exes ink and stood, he turned and faced the woman at his side, eyeing her with a cold flat look.

She looked back at him, her red eye dancing with mischievous amusement.

He looked away, toward the blue sky above. "Mind explaining what you want now?" He said, his voice was clipped and tense.

"Aww, what's the mater Naru-chan?" She asked with that deceptively innocent voice as she walked around him, her hand trailing from his right shoulder to his left and letting a clawed finger tip brush across his jaw line, the fabric of his face mask was heard as her razor sharp claw gently trace it, ending at his chin she made him look at her.

She smirked at his blank yet razor sharp eyes. "I just came to deliver a warning to you…little Naru-chan." She leaned in, and Naruto could feel the carress of her warm breath against his ear, he remained tense and stiff.

"You had better prepare yourself, little Naru-chan. Next time you meet Naraku. You'll need a lot more strength than what you currently have." She laughed and licked his earlobe and let her fang trace over it playfully as her claw drew circles along his chest armor, with just enough force so the screeches could be heard faintly by human ears.

Naruto's eyes shifted to look at her profile next to him. "Am I to assume that this is your doing, Kyuubi?"

The ancient Kitsune merely smiled and pulled back, she let her eyes travel down to the lone Kunai he held against her chest. Right above her heart.

"I wonder if even you would survive a knife through the heart." He said quietly, to himself mostly.

She grinned and moved forward, pressing her body to his she didn't even feel the prick of the skin as the kunai cut her lightly. She leaned in to his face, placing them mere centimeters apart. "Would you like to find out?" She purred her fiery red eyes dancing with embers. "Do you want to pierce my heart Naru-chan?" She pressed herself closer to him, he could feel her chest against his and her well toned legs brushing against him, as well as her taught stomach. Despite the fact that he constantly reminded himself that this was the Kyuubi no Kitsune he could still feel his body responding to this.

He was after all, a male.

Naruto met her gaze with his own, not speaking a word, merely staring at her silently.

She chuckled and traced a finger along his jaw again. "Until next time then."

She stepped back, over the water and to the other side of the river before dissolving into a thin red mist. It swirled about him once before dispersing. He stared at the gently flowing waters for a while before he silently placed the kunai back in his pouch and walked off with a quiet sigh.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Here ya go, anyway, yes I decided to have Rin learn the use of chakra. Anyway, read and review please.


	31. A childs innocence

Here I am again.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto was once again skinning one of the animals he had hunted. Just about a day or two more before he reached Totousai and have his blade made.

Rin, who was currently sitting a few yards away practicing the handseals from some detailed drawings he had made for her.

Or was…Naruto, soon felt a weight jump onto his back latching onto his neck. "Naruto-sensei Rin learned the hand thingy!" She said beaming at him.

Naruto chuckled and lifted her over his head and set her down infront of him. "Oh really? Well then…show me the Inu and they're called handseals."

"Ummm." Her face scrunched up in concentration as she twisted her fingers around in the correct way. "This one!" She chirped bouncing on the balls of her feet.

Naruto nodded. "Good, now Ryu."

Her tongue peeked itself out between her lips as she formed a slightly more complicated handseal.

He continued this process for several seconds, merely correcting the Tori seal and the Osu-Buta, which were one of the more complicated seals.

He nodded, smiling as he ruffled her hair. "You did well Rin, now then, let me teach you how to use those seals to bring out the power which is known to my people as, chakra.

She listened with baited breath, wide honey brown eyes staring at his. It was almost disturbing, but, in a weird way cute.

He cleared his throat. "Now then, if I was my old sensei Iruka I would explain every technicality and little detail that you will no doubt, need to hear six or seven times before you understand, but I prefer a practical approach." He extended his hands. "Give me your hands Rin."

Obediently she did so.

He placed his hands over hers and gently extended his chakra into her tenketsu system. Rin gasped again at the unfamiliar sensation. Naruto looked into her confused, slightly fearful brown ones. "What you feel is my chakra flowing through your Tenketsu. The tenketsu is what allows your chakra to flow through your body. You can feel your own as it forms around mine right?"

At her nod he continued.

"Good. Now, what I want you to try to do, is push my chakra out of your system, back into mine, and then try to extend your chakra into my own Tenketsu. Focus on the parts that you know for certain are yours and not mine okay. Are you ready?"

She nodded again. Naruto smiled reassuringly.

Her face scrunched up in concentration and after several minutes he could feel his chakra receive a slight nudge. _'Good.' _He thought.

Her forehead had small beads of sweat forming on it and after a few more minutes he felt a stronger nudge this time, then a weak, yet continuous push on the chakra he placed in her system, he smiled as his chakra was pushed from its original position along her wrists into the palm of her hands, just one more push.

Finally, she was able to push his chakra out of her system. He pulled his hands away.

She looked up at the lack of contact, confused, breathing a little heavier than before.

He smiled. "You did well Rin, but I think you should rest for now okay, we'll keep going tomorrow morning.

"But Rin didn't finish it." She whined with a small pout.

Naruto smiled. "That's okay, you did really well for your first time." He picked her up, settling her on his shoulder and smiled at her as she let out a delighted squeal. "Now then." He kneeled down and picked up the pieces of the cut up carcass from ropes he had tied around it. "How about we keep going a little longer before we set these to cook eh?"

She smiled and vigorously began to nod. "Okay Naruto-sensei." She beamed and looked to the side, 'AH-UN!!!" She yelled, making the dragon rouse from its sleep.

Not needing to be told more than once the beast rose and trotted over to them. Naruto patted both heads and let one lick his palm before he continued on his way north, with Rin giggling on his shoulder and the dragon steed walking behind him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naraku stilled from his place on his Fuuton, his body was slowly regenerating, but he was nowhere near a level where he could even face the monk and slayer safely, indeed, escaping the last confrontation had taken almost all of his strength.

But, from the reports his insects had given him, the foolish blond haired ninja had died shortly afterwards by Inuyasha's hand no less. He had to let a smirk cross his lips at that, the blond had been a thorn in his plans from the moment he had arrived.

So now he had ample time to gather his strength to face the Inu group, only with Sesshomaru did they have a chance of defeating him, and it was highly unlikely the Taiyokai would even consider joining his hated half-brother and his nigen allies.

His musings were cut short as an amused voice reached him. "My, Naru-chan certainly did quite a number on you _parasite._" The voice spat out the last word with veiled contempt. Naraku tensed and formed his barrier around him, at least the strongest one he could muster in this state.

"Who are you?" He kept his façade calm but on the inside he was panicking, how the hell had anyone managed to keep themselves undetected for even a moment in his castle, as well as get this close to him, it is…_was_ virtually impossible.

His eyes grew wide with surprise and fear as his barrier shattered into a million pieces as a woman morphed in from the shadows. "Now now fool, I did not come here to kill you, I merely came here to give you this."

She threw a large object at his feet, which clattered noisily against the hard wood floor. As Naraku picked it up with his only remaining arm he gasped in surprise and dropped the item with another noisy clatter. 'Th-that is..."

"Indeed. Now then, I have done what I came here to do and so I will take my leave, the sooner I am free of your presence the better." That said she began to vanish but was stopped by the hanyou's voice.

"Wait." Naraku called. "Why are you helping me?"

She laughed coldly and turned her eyes, which danced with a hidden, detached amusement. "Make no mistake, insect, I am not helping you, you are merely a pawn that I will use to save the king in this particular game of Shougi. He is after all…the most important piece." She chuckled. "And pawns are always expendable."

She vanished back into the shadows.

Naraku's lips curled back in a snarl. A pawn? Him? Ha. Foolish wench, as soon as he regained his strength and took the last of the shards from the Miko's cold dead fingers he would hunt her down and kill her for her insolence.

Naraku turned his attention away from the strange Yokai and stared at the item at the foot of his futon in shock for a moment before a sick, twisted smile formed at his lips and he began to laugh hysterically.

'_With this gift and then the full power of the Shikon jewel…I will become a living god.'_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto watched as Rin chewed happily on some spiced up pieces of deer meat, he had already had what he needed, he wasn't full by any means, but she needed it more than him.

He was currently leaning against a tree, watching as she had a one sided conversation with Ah-Un who was currently eating his own meal.

He smiled as she laughed, he found himself doing that often recently.

She finished the meat and gave Ah-Un the bone, giving both dragon heads an affectionate hug and pats on their heads before trotting up to Naruto. She plopped herself down, Indian style, holding her feet together with her hands. "What will we do tomorrow Naruto sensei?" She chirped.

Naruto smiled, relaxing slightly. "You still need to learn the basics of molding chakra at the rate your going I would guess about two to five days should be enough. After that I'll teach you the easiest Jutsu."

"Jutsu?"

"Technique, its my village's word for magic." He explained. Rin's mouth opened in an 'O' "Its called the bunshin no jutsu."

She nodded and smiled happily, he ruffled her hair and leaned back against the tree, watching the starry sky."

"Naruto-sensei, can Rin ask you a question?"

He looked down, slight surprise and puzzlement were visible along his face. "Sure Rin." He said after a brief moment.

She seemed to shift nervously for a moment before she looked up at him with eyes that held…sadness?

"Naruto-sensei…Rin wants to know why Naruto sensei's eyes are always sad."

His eyes widened minutely and he struggled not to gasp. After a moment he regained his composure. "What?"

This time she was shifting nervously, looking at her feet. "Well…Rin wants to know why Naruto-sama is sad."

He composed himself and smiled at her. "I'm not sad Rin."

She shook her head and walked up to him cup his face with her small hands and made him look at her, "Naruto-sama's eyes are sad. Rin can see that when Naruto-sama smiles."

Naruto took a deep breath, and this time he allowed some sadness to seep into his expression. He took her small hands in one larger one and looked into her eyes for a good long while before he smiled sadly. "When you lose someone important to you Rin. It hurts, and some times, it takes a lot longer for the pain to go away." He explained gently.

"Maybe we can find them again." She said innocently. He laughed lightheartedly, the sound was sad yet amused. He shook his head, gently ruffling her hair. "No…Rin…I don't think we can."

She moved forward and hugged him then, her little arms wrapping around his neck. "Then Rin will stay with Naruto-sama until he does find the person he lost again."

Naruto swallowed the lump in his throat and laughed at her innocence. He wrapped an arm around her and hugged her. "Thank you Rin." He whispered as he let a lone tear fall from his eye.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kinda short I know, anyway next chap Naruto finally arrives in Totosai's place.

Now, I need names for the weapon (with a Japanese translation) so if anyone has any suggestions feel free.


	32. Totosai

Finals are almost done here as is this story just a few chapters left, ten at most. Anyway here's the new chap, it may be short but the finals are almost done, not exactly done yet so I still have some studying to do.

When I'm done with this, my next Xover will most likely be the Naru/Teen Titans one since its the easiest to make and it's the one I have planned out the most, after that, who knows.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto, Rin and Ah-Un looked down from the lip of the massive volcano, small pools of lava dotted the ground before them and in the center of this fiery lair was what appeared to be bones of some fish demon shaped into a hut. Naruto felt a tug at his pant leg and looked down to see Rin looking at him a little scared of the fiery landscape. "Naruto-sama. Why are we here?"

Naruto smiled. "Its okay Rin, I just came to find an old man that makes the best swords in the world."

Her eyes seemed to brighten considerably and she beamed up at him. "Naruto-sama's going to get a sword?" She screamed enthusiastically bouncing on the balls of her feet. Naruto smiled and nodded kneeling down to pick her up and place her on Ah-Un's saddle.

"Come on you two, lets see what this old man can do.

Rin nodded happily as Ah-Un seemed to grunt in agreement. Naruto placed his hands in his pockets and walked down the slope towards the old sword smiths home.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Inuyasha groaned, clutching his head as he blearily opened his amber colored eyes to sit up and look around the room. "Ohhhhh my head…what hit me?" He looked around as his eyes adjusted to the light he took in the appearance of his comrades. "You guys look like shit."

Everyone glared.

For indeed they did look like shit. Miroku's arm was wrapped in a sling, his left knee was in a form of feudal era cast and a bandage was wrapped around his head, Sango's armor was cracked and broken in several places, around her waist were several bandages wrapped tightly so that her bruised ribs didn't shift too much. Kagura was the only one who was normal, though even she winced with a few movements.

Inuyasha tried to place his hand on the ground to pick himself up sharp, piercing pain tore up his arm pulling a shocked scream of pain from him as he collapsed on his back, spreading more pain through his back, this time however he was able to bite back his scream.

His heavy breathing was loud in his ears and he faintly heard Kagura snort, "Now who looks like shit?"

He glared at the raven haired demoness "Bitch." He snarled sitting up again, this time taking care with the injuries he currently sported. He looked around, then his ears perked up and a sliver of worry could be seen in his slitted gaze. "Where's Kagome and Shipou?"

Miroku shifted slightly. "Kagome is fine she's down by the river gathering some more herbs and such, Shippou however…" He trailed off towards the end.

Inuyasha tensed. "What? Miroku…what happened to Shippou?"

"Inuyasha!" came a surprised voice from the entryway, Inuyasha looked to the door and saw Kagome looking at him with a relieved smile on her face. But Inuyasha found something odd about this picture…

Ahhh that was it, there was a fox on her shoulder…wait…why did the fox have green eyes?

"Inuyasha are you feeling all right?" Kagome asked stepping forward and kneeling next to him pulling him out of his stupor. Also interrupting him from making the obvious connections he was mere seconds away from making. (Gasp!!!! He does have a brain beneath that hair.)

"Kagome what happened to Shippou?" The fox began yipping and running around. Kagome said nothing as she turned her eyes to the little fox that was currently juping from foot to foot while waving two sticks in the air thinking Inuyasha would make the connection on his own.

After a few seconds the fox grew annoyed and bit his hand, Inuyasha batted him away. "Not now fur ball, Kagome tell me what happened to Shippou. He said, beginning to grow agitated.

The fox kit growled and lunged, this time biting on one of his sensitive ears. Inuyasha screeched in pain and latched onto the foxes tail pulling him infront of his face and reared back ready to throw the kit out the window.

Kagome horrified and not knowing what else to do did the first thing that came to mind. "SIT!"

No one can really describe the sound that came after, it was a mixture of cracking wood, spinal crunchings, a scream of surprise, pain, anger, pain which somehow mannaged to mix in an 'Oh shit' along with pain and…did I mention pain?

Oh yes and a slow groan of agony. Kinda like how when a woman kicks you in the nuts with the very tip of a steel toed boot full force without any form of warning. Yeah that groan.

All of this was muffled even more as the furry little fox landed on Inuyasha's silver head gently prodding the twitching ears as it seemed to whine something that sounded like. 'Inuyasha? Are you dead.'

Kagura snickered while Sango shook her head. Miroku spoke up. "Well if he wasn't dead before, he's certainly dead now."

Kagome looked down to his form. "Sorry Inuyasha." She said truly apologetic for once. "But you were about to hurt Shippou."

"Wf didtbejh yu tfell mph?" Was his muffled reply which translated into a painful. 'Why didn't you tell me?"

"I have no idea what you said but don't worry, as soon as I'm done patching everyone else up I'll start with you since it'll take me a while to redress all your wounds so just sit tight." She said petting one of his ears before turning to sango ignoring another of his painful groans.

From her place in the corner of the room Kirara mewed lazily. 'Humans are such strange creatures."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto looked down at the old swordsmith as he lay sleeping at his feet. A snot bubble expanded and deflated with the old demons breathing. "Hey old man." He called.

At the lack of a response he tried again. 'Totosai!"

Nope, he continued to snore.

His eyebrow twitched in annoyance and he roughly kicked the old mans side. "Wake up old man." He said again.

Still snoring.

Now Naruto was getting annoyed. Kneeling down he cupped his hands infront of his face took a deep breath, focused chakra in his vocal cords throat and mouth he yelled in the old mans ear as loud as he could. "**WAAAAAAKKKKKEEEEEEEE UUUUUUUUPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!"**

Nope. Nothing.

The blond twitched and began making handseals.

Rin and Ah-Un sat outside watching in silent fascination as bright flashes of light, small explosion sounds and strangely the sound of a cat hitting a trashcan reached their ears.

Naruto walked out looking annoyed and angry to the world. Rin was about to speak when some ash entered her nose making her sneeze softly. You know, one of those squeaky achoo's

"WHO'S MAKING ALL THAT RACKET!!!!!" Came an old withered voice from inside the hut.

Naruto stopped his eyebrow twitching rapidly as he slowly turned and saw an old demon walk out of the hut. He had big round eyes, horizontally stripped green clothing which may have at one point been a hakama and haori but now resembled a modified sack and a large iron mallet over his shoulder.

The old demon stopped and stared at Rin, then to Ah-Un and then back to Rin.

Suddenly he pointed and yelled, his mouth and eyes widening to ridiculous proportions. "AHHHHHHHHH YOU'RE THE LITTLE GIRL THAT RAVELS WITH SESSHOMARU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" He began looking around. "OH NO OH NO OH NO" He yelled as he ran around suddenly he had managed to get sevenhundred pounds of wood and had nailed them to the entrance to his house barricading it. He placed a sign infront that said. "Gone on vacation."

"There!" He exclaimed enthusiastically until he realized something.

"AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH I LOCKED MYSELF OUT!!!!!!!!"

And so he tore down the wood stepped into his hut and began placing the barricade up again.

He was about to hammer another nail when a gloved hand wrapped around his wrist. Totosai slowly looked over to a blond human who was staring at him in an irritated and slightly bored expression.

"Sesshomaru isn't here, Rin is traveling with me for now and I came to request you make me a sword."

Totosai looked him over. "You are human! No human can handle the immense power one of my blades would wield and besides you must bring a piece of a demon, such as a horn, bone or fang in order to order a blade from me. So please leave and let me get back to my nap."

Naruto sighed and removed the small fang from his pocket holding it out for the old swordsmith. "Here's your fang. Now make me the damn blade."

Totosai was about to say no, thinking the fang was nothing more than a weak demons fang but paused as he saw a small pulse of red chakra come from the fang. _'It couldn't be…'_

He grabbed the fang and gasped, stepping back as if he'd just been slapped.

The power, he had only sensed it once before.

It was when Inu-no-Taicho had brought him the blade of Sougna to be inspected. The sword from hell it was called but even the power he had sensed from that paled in comparison to what he felt here. When he had asked the great dog general where he had gotten such a blade he had said that it was a gift from a demoness of immense power.

"Where did you get this?" Totosai asked his goofy demeanor gone replaced by absolute seriousness.

"A woman gave it to me." He answered truthfully.

Totosai nodded. "Very well, I will forge you the sword, but if I find that in the end you are unworthy I will have it destroyed."

Naruto paused for a moment before nodding.

Totosai was about to speak again but small hands gently tugged his pant leg. He looked down and saw Rin beaming up at him. "Hello. Rin is Rin."

Totosai smiled and looked her over. "Well now aren't you a sweet little girl, I would think that traveling with that whelp Sesshomaru would make you as cold as he is."

She leaned forward and grabbed his running her hands around his face and head. "Why are you so wrinkly?" She rubbed the top of his bald head. "And what happened to all you hair mister."

Naruto chuckled and gently pried her hands away. "Come on Rin, let me teach you the Bunshin no jutsu."

"Okay." She chirped grabbing his hand as he led her out.

Totosai watched them leave and looked down to the fang in his hand. _'Could it be…Kyuubi?'_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Here ya go, read and review


	33. Trust

Here I am again.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto smiled down at the little girl as a bright smile threatened to split her face in two as two perfect clones flanked her.

"Rin did it Naruto-sama!" She laughed delightedly as she jumped up and down. "Rin did it, Rin did it, Rin did it." She chanted skipping circles around him.

Naruto was about to praise her newfound success when a familiar voice spoke up from behind him. "That you did little girl."

He tensed, his eyes going from warm and inviting, to guarded and cold in seconds as he looked over his shoulder to the familiar vixen that had been making many appearances of late.

Rin shyly poked her head out from behind his legs catching sight of the red haired woman she smiled and waved at her. "Hello, pretty lady."

Kyuubi raised an eyebrow but laughed lightly to herself as she walked over to them. She walked around Naruto, sensing his unease as his eyes remained trained on her watching her every movement.

She smiled as she knelt down to be at eyelevel with the little girl. Moving her right claw with tantalizingly slow movements, making sure that Naruto knew what she could do in an instant if she so desired. She was rewarded as she felt him tense and his killer intent rise so it only affected her.

She ruffled the oblivious girls hair affectionately. "Well now aren't you a cute one. What's your name little girl?" She asked kindly, completely ignoring Naruto.

Rin smiled completely and gratefully innocent to the interaction between them. "Rin is Rin pretty lady."

Kyuubi smiled her enlarged fangs catching the little girls attention. "That's a pretty name Rin, if you want you can call me Kyuu, I like pretty lady but it's a little too long for me."

Rin nodded and was about to speak again when Naruto cleared his throat catching her attention. "Rin, I need to talk alone with Kyuu here, why don't you go and see what Totosai's doing."

She looked between them for a moment before she nodded with a happy smile on her face and ran to Totosai's hut where the old man was hopefully working on his sword.

As soon as the little girl was out of earshot Naruto and Kyuubi's gazes slowly turned to eahother her features twisting from a small smile into a wicked grin as his gaze faded from a reassuring smile to a calculative and cold gaze.

"My my Naru-chan, that's very rude, thinking you need to protect little Rin-chan from me?" Her fangs lengthened somewhat.

Naruto's cold pools of ice glared back coldly at her. "What are you up to fox?"

She placed a look of mock hurt on her face. "Why Naru-chan, I'm hurt you'd actually think I was planning something." She let a fanged smirk cross her features again. "What could have ever given you that idea?"

His eyes narrowed. "Stop playing your tricks Fox. You show up, suddenly Sesshomaru's missing, Rin is right in my path and Naraku has somehow become stronger. All this, when you make your reappearance into this world. Some people would call it coincidence, others fate. But I've never believed in either."

Her smirk widened. "My my, it was always so much easier to fool you when you were just that cute little boy that yelled to the world you were going to become Hokage. My my, how foolish you were."

Fiery red clashed with cold blue.

His eyes, so fierce, so powerful in their stubborn bravery and yet…still missing something.

She looked to Totosai's hut smirking in her wolfish way. "I remember that I also told you to get stronger." She paused as she turned to face him again. "So why haven't you?"

He merely stared back impassively.

Her smile widened at his lack of a response as she turned back to the hut. "I see." She paused as she calmly, almost tauntingly t raised her right claw to eye level as red chakra slowly formed around her hand. "Well then if you won't get stronger for yourself, then perhaps you'll become stronger for another."

She felt him tense, his chakra spiking in a second as the words rolled off her tongue. Her smile turned evil as she rounded back on him. "Ahh, yes that always was where you found your strengths didn't you? Always fighting for others rather than yourself. You always were a peculiar with that weren't you? Let's see if that old fire is still there."

She rushed forward, the red chakra gathered in her hand flaring to life Naruto's eyes flashed as he moved with speed previously unimagined, appearing in her path the Rasengan swirling in his hand ready to take its next victim.

He halted her advance, grabbing her roughly by the throat and pushing her down to the ground his left hand around her neck, his left foot holding down her right and her left hand holding the wrist which held the Rasengan back from slamming into her gut.

She pressed her legs to his chest and pushed, kicking him off with enough force to send him sprawling onto his back. She leapt up landing on top of him with her right leg over his chest her left leg pinning down his right arm her right hand holding down his left and her remaining claw gripping his throat tightly as her claws slightly pierced the thin layers of the skin on his neck.

He grunted as she roughly jerked his head to face her, holding his neck with careful precision as her razor sharp claws drew even more blood yet he didn't flinch, he showed absolutely no fear she stared into his eyes, his calm deep sea blue eyes which held more in them than any other she had seen in her vast lifetime.

But…there was something there…something that wasn't there before. It took her a moment to find it and then another moment to recognize it.

Determination.

That simple determination that could spit death in the face and stare fearlessly into the blackest abyss that could only belong to him was burning once again smoldering within those cold blue eyes again.

She leaned down nuzzling his cheek with her own. She whispered in his ear the words rolling seductively off her tongue. "Now, why would you go and do something as stupid as that?" She asked as she pulled away letting her crimson orbs meet his sea blue ones.

He didn't deign her question with an answer instead he chose to ask one of his own. "What are you planning?"

She grinned her enlarged canines showing themselves from between her lips. "Ah, ah ah, that would be telling now wouldn't it. I suppose you'll just have to trust me."

"Trust you?" He asked incredulously. "I've lost many things in my lifetime but my sanity has remained mostly intact."

She smiled a full blown smile. "Maybe it is maybe it isn't, but if there's one thing you've learned from me, my little Naru-chan is that I've never really lied to you and two I wouldn't need all this planning to kill you…after all." She tightened her claws around his neck letting the razor edges draw out more blood from the small nicks. "I could do that right now with very little trouble to speak of."

His eyes narrowed in irritation. "But you won't, you'd rather use me for entertainment"

Her eyes danced with veiled amusement as she slowly released his neck and stepped back allowing him to stand, red wisps of energy swirled around her, lifting her up to the sky her smile still firmly plastered on her face. "Indeed I would and also, that cute little Rin girl would be so sad if you died."

There was a bright flash which forced the blond ninja to shield his eyes when he opened them again; the fox demoness was nowhere to be seen the echo's of her sultry laughter the only evidence she had been there at all.

Naruto narrowed his eyes at the sight the small cuts along his neck already healing as he wiped away the blood he turned back to Totosai's hut calming himself as he drew closer to it.

As he approached the Kitsune's words bounced around within the walls of his skull. He wished he knew what the damn fox was planning he needed to know in order to protect…

He paused.

To protect…

It was not a thought that had occurred to him since he had arrived at this place, within Inuyasha's group he felt the need to help them, but never to actually protect them, not in the way he had thought of it just now at least.

But…to protect…what did he have to protect now?

A light giggle escaped the walls of the hut and floated into his ears, he recognized it immediately and it brought a smile to his face. Rin.

He looked up to the sky his smile growing content, truly content for the first time in what felt like a lifetime.

If not for anything or anyone else, he would grow stronger for her, to protect her and perhaps…more would join that list in time.

He parted the cloths that covered the entrance of the hut and immediately sweatdropped, no wonder they never heard the commotion outside.

Totosai lay sprawled on his back…sleeping, a massive snot bubble which Rin continued to poke with a random stick, amazed that it didn't pop, was hanging from his left nostril as he snored…quite loudly too.

Rin, noticing Naruto's presence smiled as she let go of the stick and ran to him. "Naruto-sama, where is the pretty lady?"

Naruto smiled somewhat uneasily at the thought of Rin forming an attachment to the most powerful demon in existence. But she had already formed with the most frosty demon in existence so this wasn't much of a stretch. "She had to leave Rin." He explained. "Now, I'm going to go train, why don't you try to wake up Totosai-here."

"Okay Naruto-sama." She giggled as she ran back to Totosai, jumping over Ah-Un's heads as she did so. She crouched down next to him and began gently whispering in his ear. "Jii-chan. Time to get up!!"

Naruto smiled at the scene before walking out.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"My, my so you managed to find out did you?"

Sesshomaru turned his head to the direction of the voice, finding the red maned Kitsune who had imprisoned him in the first place Tetsusaiga pulsing at his side, a silver glow coming from it as he stood outside the cave.

"Hmm, and with two days to spare too." She spoke up mostly to herself as she crossed her arms and smirked. "Very well then Inu-no-Taicho." She laughed at his narrowed eyes. "Enjoy your reward." She flicked her wrist a small ball of red chakra forming and propelling itself towards Sesshomaru striking him in what remained of his left arm. Burning pain tore through the appendage as bone, muscle, tissue, skin and nerved reformed before his very eyes. The process was over in a few seconds, when Sesshomaru looked again his left claw, as impeccable as he remembered it was now again at his side.

The dog demon looked to the Kitsune. "You said Rin was safe, where is she?"

She looked back over her shoulder at him. "Ohh, she's around, perhaps you should go look for her." She laughed once again vanishin into the dense shadows of the forests as silently as she had come.

The Taiyokai watched her leave before he raised his nose in the air and took a deep breath, inhaling the surrounding scents, finding a suitable direction he turned and began making his way.

"WAIT FOR ME MY LOOOOOORRRRRRDDDDD!!!!" Was the terrible screech that reached his ears from, a once again, conscious Jaken. Sesshomaru refrained the urge to curse. Just why did he keep that annoying Kappa anyway?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Well this chap is done, sorry I haven't been uploading but shit is crazy over here, first finals, then the damn website wont show me my stories when I click on 'stories' for whatever reason making it even harder to update, then some drunk fuck-head hit the telephone pole outside my house completely knocking out my connection. Then I get one of the worst cases of writers block in history to go along with it and my mom makes a trip to NY and I have to stay in my aunts house who has no connection to Internet. Anyway here's my update, here ya go read and review please. I'll try to update again soon but this is my friend Josephs (Jose's) computer so…yeah.

Anyway sorry again for the wait.


	34. Kagome's got problems

Here I am again.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"391, 392, 393, 394." Naruto paused in the middle of his pushups as two little feet stopped in front of him. He lazily looked up and saw Rin, as she plopped down, crossing her legs infront of him.

"What is Naruto-sama doing?" She asked smiling.

"Training." He replied simply.

"Why?"

Oh god no, he had seen this before in other children. They would continue asking why until you couldn't answer anything else, and even then they'd still keep asking why.

"To get stronger."

She stared blankly for a moment. "But…Naruto-sama is already strong, why get stronger?"

He smiled as he shifted from his push up position onto a sitting position infront of her. "Because Rin, people get stronger when they have something, or more importantly someone they want to protect."

She seemed to brighten up at that. "Ohhh, so who is it that Naruto-sama wants to protect?"

He smiled at her innocent nature and put his hand to his chin as if thinking. "Well, I can tell you about one, she's about, three and a half feet tall, has long black hair, an orange Kimono, likes flowers and a clump of her hair is tied up in a small side ponytail."

Rin looked puzzled for a moment before she looked down at her orange Kimono. She blinked and looked back up at his smiling face before she slowly pointed at herself as if uncertain.

His smile widened before he nodded, and then winced as an ear piercing squeal nearly broke his eardrum before he was glomped by the little bundle of joy.

He laughed lightheartedly before he stood and placed her on the ground "Come on, Rin, lets get something to eat."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was a few hours later the two found each other eating when Rin squealed again, startling Naruto and Ah-Un from their meals.

"JII-CHAN!!!!" Rin squealed running up to the exhausted looking Totosai.

The old sword smith saw the little ball of sunshine almost as if in slow motion, as she gave a leap that could have put one of Jiraiya's toads to shame.

Totosai barely had time to raise his hands in defense. "NO NO NO WAIT!!!!!!!!"

**CRASH!!!**

"Jii-chan, you're back, did you get Rin something, huh, huh, huh?" She asked jumping up and down on the very old, very frail, very arthritis suffering demon.

Naruto stood up and walked over, ignoring the small groans that left the old demon's lips in conjunction with each of the girls jumps and leaned over so he could look down at the old swordsmith.

"Sooooooo…." He drawled. "Your back, you said you wouldn't be back for another three days."

The old sword smiths eyes snapped open and he suddenly sprung to his feet dragging Rin with him, somehow she had managed to end up sitting on the old demons head as he stood up fully, how she had gone from his chest to his head Naruto didn't know.

Totosai pointed at Naruto's face. "YOU!!!!"

Naruto's was completely lost at this point and looked around the cave with his eyes snapping left and right before he pointed at himself. "Yes…me…the guy that has been staying here for the last three weeks or so."

The old sword smith suddenly brought out a huge mallet from……somewhere, and hit Naruto over the head with it. "WHAT ARE YOU STILL DOING HERE, WHY ARE YOU NOT AT INUYASHA'S FOREST!!!!!?????"

The Naruto he hit promptly vanished in a puff of smoke leaving a confused Rin and Totosai, suddenly, a voice spoke up to their right. "I'm still waiting for my sword and I have absolutely no idea why I should go to Inuyasha's forest."

Totosai, screamed and jumped ten feet in the air, dislodging Rin from his head where Naruto caught her before she hit the floor. "Don't scare an old man like that! What's wrong with you?" His head was comically large before it deflated and he scratched his head. "Ummm, what were we talking about again?"

Naruto sweatdropped, setting Rin down he spoke. "Well, you showed up and then started yelling about Inuyasha's forest."

The old demon got a startled look on his face before he appeared infront of Naruto with speed that would have put Gai in his prime with all 8 gates open to shame. "YOU MUST GO TO INUYASHA'S FOREST IMMEDIATELY!!!!! NARAKU APPARENTLY HAS A NEW WEAPON AND IS HEADING THERE RIGHT NOW."

Naruto snapped his fingers. "Speaking of new weapons. Where's mine?" He asked, while wondering what weapon Kyuubi could have granted the spider hanyou that would make him bold enough to attack head on.

Totosai stared blankly for a moment before finally…"Your what?"

The blond ninja's eyes got a dangerous twitch in them. "My weapon…you know? The one you were supposed to make with the fang I gave you."

"Ohhhhhh…that weapon…" He put two fingers in his mouth and whistled…loudly.

A bolt of lightning shot down and hit a few feet away where a three eyed cow appeared with a bundle in purple silk hanging from its side.

Totosai walked over and untied the bundle from the cow and laid it on the floor, unrolling it, they revealed two blades. One was a single edged curved blade, it had a silver dragon at the hilt with sapphire eyes, if one looked closely into them, they could see a swirling white mass, like a hurricane, inside of it. The blade itself was fairly normal only the edges of it had a faint blue glow to them.

The other blade, could be considered an exact opposite. The blade itself was red in color, with a gold fox head at the hilt with ruby red eyes, flames danced within them; the blade was also, a single curved edge.

Naruto looked over both of them. "Interesting choice of designs. Why did you make two of them?"

Totosai looked at him. "I do not design my blades, each fang, is as individual as the demon it came from. It has its own will, so to speak I merely follow its directions, I made two of them for two reasons, the first is because it asked me to and the second is because…the fang held too much power for one blade to safely contain."

Naruto snapped his surprised eyes to the old sword smith's larger ones.

"Tell me Natuko…"

"Naruto." The blond corrected/interrupted.

"Narita, was it indeed the nine tailed fox of legend that gave you this fang?"

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Now what led you to this conclusion?"

Totosai shrugged. "Many things really, no demon before, or since the greatest of the nine could hold such power, and the fact that Sougna, the sword used by Inu-no-Taicho in his conquests had a similar aura to this one, and that he said, a fox from hell granted him the sword, and the fact that you are the first human in over four millennia o have strength as great as a demon."

"Someone told you didn't they?"

Totosai fell down anime stile and moved to get his mallet when he realized Naruto was leaning on it. He sat down with a huff, muttering about youngsters having no respect before he finally spoke. "Yes yes, an old tree demon, Goshinki, the one that gave me the wood to make the sheathes of your swords told me."

Naruto smiled. "There, now, isn't that a lot easier."

Totosai hmphed before he took both blades and handed them to the blond.

Red chakra came from the fox blade as it pulsed in his hand and blue chakra came from the dragon blade. He looked at both swords and saw an identical set of 'teeth' , they had at the but of each hilt.

He looked at them both and finally placed both swords together, finding that the teeth matched perfectly, he twisted and heard something click, leaving him with a double bladed sword.

"The swords powers should come naturally to you." Totosai spoke up. "I do not know what they might be but, I know that there are four of them."

Naruto nodded before he dis-attached the blades from one another sheathed them in the simple black sheathes Totosai had gotten from Goshinki and placed them across his back.

He nodded in satisfaction as he tightened the straps and looked to Totosai again. "You said Naraku got a new weapon, any information on what it might be?"

Totosai turned to Naruto as he picked his nose. "Eh, did you say something?"

Naruto smacked his forehead. "Never mind." He muttered before turning back to the hut.

"Rin!" He called the girl making her stop as she was playing with Ah-Un and run over to him. "Yes Naruto-sama?"

He kneeled "Say good bye to Jii-chan Rin, we have to leave now."

She blinked curiously. "Why?"

He smiled, "Do you remember why I wanted to get stronger?"

"Because you wanted to protect precious people." She chirped happily.

Naruto smiled. "Right, and right now, a lot of my precious people are in trouble and I have to go help them, so say good bye to Jii-chan while I get Ah-Un."

She nodded and ran past him to get to Totosai.

Naruto walked over to Ah-Un. "Ah-Un, do you know how to get to Inuyasha's forest?" He asked the two headed reptile. One of Ah Un's heads nodded slowly, as the other just stared curiously.

"Good, I'll be taking Rin on ahead, can you meet us there."

Again the dragon nodded. He patted both dragon heads before he turned to walk out of the hut.

When he got out he came across a very weird yet funny sight.

Totosai was lying on his stomach, out cold, with Rin perched on his back as she made him a crown of flowers. Where she got the flowers from…he really didn't want to know.

He walked over and knelt down, "Rin, get on my back and hold on tight, we'll be moving very very fast."

She nodded and moved to run behind him when she paused, turned around and placed all of the remaining flowers she had in her hand over Totosai's head. Naruto resisted the urge to laugh as she clambered onto his back, wrapping her small arms around his neck. "I'm ready Naruto-sama."

"Hold on tight okay?"

When he felt her nod, he looked to the south west and began making his way to Inuyasha's forest, top speed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"LORD SESSHOMARU!" Came the high pitched screech from Jakken as he ran up to the white clad Tai-Yokai.

Sesshomaru refrained the urge to grip the bridge of his nose in order to stave off the impending headache and turned to the Kappa. "What is it Jakken." His voice held just a hint of irritation, which Jakken had noticed was growing every day that they did not find Rin.

He hastily bowed. "My lord, rumors are circulating that Naraku is making his way to Inuyasha's forest."

"It is probably nothing more than another of his puppets, even that foolish brother of mine should be able to defeat it, waste my time again Jakken and you will regret it."

That said he turned to leave Jakken gulped. "My lord I have great reason to believe that this is indeed the real Naraku. They say he carries a weapon of great power."

Now this indeed caught Sesshomaru's interest, he stopped and looked at his retainer. "And what weapon would that be Jakken?"

Jakken gulped as he mentally spoke his prayers. "My lord the weapon is…"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kagome sighed tiredly as she walked back to the hut, a bundle of herbs was held in a basket on her arm, they had just gotten back to Kaede's village just two days ago after a short excursion a nearby village to exorcize a weasel demon. She hadn't sensed any jewel shards but that was normal, it was quite obvious that All the pieces had already been collected by either themselves or Naraku.

She could almost see Kaede's hut when a sultry laughter reached her ears.

"Well well, isn't this quite a find, a Miko with no weapon, easy pickings for anything short of a low level demon."

Kagome snapped her head around and saw the fox demoness that had attacked their group almost a month ago.

"You." Kagome gasped before she gained her nerve and glared. "What have you done to Shipou? He cant transform back into his human form."

"Hmm, to the Kit? I have done nothing except give him a little…hmm, upgrade. He will learn to return to his human form in time. But you my dear have much bigger problems to deal with. Namely, that." The fox demoness pointed behind her, toward the sky.

Kagome looked and felt her heart leap into her throat as she saw a massive black mass approaching them, she had seen something similar many times. They were low level Yokai, used by Naraku, but this was absolutely ridiculous. That mass had to be at least close to a mile wide and half a mile high. It was the largest group she had ever seen.

She felt the fox demon lean on her back and wrap her arms around her neck in what would be a hug. "Well now, wont you be busy today?" She could practically feel the smile the demoness had on her face.

"I have to find everyone." Kagome said as she tried to run to the village, Kyuubi grabbed her by the shoulder, spun her around and placed a quiver full of arrows and her bow into Kagome's hands. "Like I said, you have bigger problems to worry about little Miko. Your friends can handle those fodder, you on the other hand…hmm, well, lets just say you'll have your hands full." She said the last part as she caressed the girls cheek.

Kyuubi gave one last fanged smirk before she vanished in a flash of red light.

Kagome looked around for a moment, not seeing the demoness, she was going to make her way to the village when another voice, one that sent a chill crawling up her spine caressed her ear.

"Ahh, Kagome there you are."

The Miko from the future straightened her shoulders as she turned to face the spider hanyou.

"Naraku." She hissed.

"Oh my, so feisty little Kagome."

She notched an arrow into her bow, Naraku watched amused as it glowed a bright pink.

"Already taking out the weapons Kagome?" he asked with a chiding tone. "Well then, I suppose I should take mine out as well shouldn't I?"

Kagome watched nervously as Naraku slowly placed his hand over the hilt of a sword, when he unsheathed it her fear spiked tremendously.

She recognized that sword.

So'unga


	35. Battle for the Shikon: prt 1

HI GUYS I'M BAAAAACCCCCCKKKKKKK!!!

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kagome wasted little time in recovering from her initial shock from seeing the evil blade in Naraku's clutches and pulled the bow string of her arrow as far back as she could without breaking it. She let it fly, the tip of the projectile practically exploding with holy light as it cut through the air towards him.

Naraku chuckled as he placed the blade inbetwenn the arrow and himself, metal clashed with metal with a resounding 'clang' as the arrow fell a distance away, the remaining sparks of her Miko power fading rapidly as So'unga sparked with small lightning bolts of red and pink.

Naraku looked momentarilly shocked but it quickly passed as the pink sparks died down, leaving the blade pulsing an evil red. "Well done Kagome, you have grown powerful indeed if your power could phaze So'unga for even a moment."

Kagome gulped, while she had no delusions that she could defeat the power of So'unga outright she expected for at least some of the holly energy she had poured into that attack to have affected Naraku, even slightly, the fact that he was unharmed worried and frightened her greatly.

"Now then, I think its my turn." The spider demon chuckled in cold amusment before he rushed forward intent on running the Miko, who had become the bane of his existence, through.

His blade was stopped just six inches from its target by a bright pink barrier. The two powers met in a luminous display of purple, red and pink. Naraku's twisted smile grew as he saw Kagome fall to her knee's in effort to keep the barrier up, and he hadnt even used one of So'unga's ultimate attacks yet.

Indeed, soon he would kill this Miko and her friends would follow shortly after.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"WIND SCAR!!!" Inuyasha yelled as yellow streaks of Youki tore through the landscape, consuming all in its path.

The Inu-Hanyou frantically searched for his friends he had been resting near a tree at the edge of the village when the attack began, catching him completely offguard. He tried to hear them, but the growls and roars of all the low level Yokai prohibited him from doing so and their stench also stopped him from sniffing them out.

So he had to remember where they said they were going to be.

And he had a horrible memory.

"GOD DAMNIT!!!" He yelled as he hacked another demon in half. "WHY DOES THIS SHIT ALWAYS HAPPEN TO ME!!? I AINT NO FREAKIN BABYSITTER!!!" He leapt up high into a tree and leapt once again, about sixty feet above the ground, looking for his allies, He immediately caught sight of Sango and Kirara flying high above the horde of Yokai as Sango threw her Hiraikotsu, taking down twenty to thirty in a single swing.

"SANGO!" He yelled out as loud as he could (which was quite loud by the way) catching her attention.

"Kirara!" At the wordless comand the fire Neko roared and flew towards the plummeting Hanyou, Sango reached down, catching his wrist and pulling him up, onto Kirara's back.

"Wind scar!" He yelled again, obliterating a large number of Yokai trailing behind him.

"We have to find Kagome and Miroku." Sango said to him as she looked over her shoulder.

Inuyasha nodded. "Allright, but do you know where they went?"

"Miroku said he was gonna go to the shrine and Kagome was going to pick some herbs."

"The herbs usually grow a few hundred paces behind the shrine, too. So we should be able to find them both pretty easy." The Hanyou remarked, making Sango raise an eyebrow. "WHAT?!" He snapped after a few seconds.

"How do you know where the herbs are?" She questioned.

Inuyasha sputtered for a few moments before he was able to form a coherent sentence. "THAT'S NONE OF YOUR BUISNESS!!!???"

Sango's eyes narrowed and she was about to say something else when another familiar voice reached them.

"I leave you alone for a few hours and already you have the place coming down around your ears !"

They both turned and saw Kagura as she let her wind blades fly, neatly slicing another group of demons as she floated next to them.

"Now isnt the time for jokes, lets find the others!" Sango said evenly. Kagura nodded before she let loose another set of wind blades.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kagome groaned as she poured more of her Holy power into merely holding off the blade, Naraku hadn't even begun using the So'unga's attacks yet, and the sword in his, already powerful hands was proving to be even more deadly than when they fought it the first time.

"Very impresive Kagome, you've mannaged to hold off So'unga a full minute, I wonder how much longer you'll last." He said with cruel mirth, like acid dripping from his tongue. As his words reached her, anger bubbled up inside of her, she knew she wouldnt last much longer at the rate her energy was being sapped from her, but she would not die kneeling at his feet like a coward. If she would die today, it was going to be with her head held up high damnit.

Naraku watched in shock as she struggled to stand, everntually reaching her full height and glaring fiercely into his eyes, angry blue met with startled red.

Her barrier glowed brightly and expanded, burning him badly, he growled and leapt back, So'unga could have easily continued, but he could not last against that purification energy.

When the glow died down it revealed Kagome, standing with her bow grasped firmly in her hand and an arrow in the other, She notched it and pulled back, this time, pouring most of her energy into the attack, the entire arrow glowed and crackled fiercely with pink flames.

Naraku sneered at the girl, placing So'unga infront of him and charging toward her at top speed, he was going to eliminate this nusance once and for all.

As Naraku rushed Kagome released her arrow, the bright light practically exploded everywhere, blinding both her, Naraku, and anyone else in the surrounding area.

Naraku roared as burning pain tore through his entire body, he focussed his Youki into So'unga, increasing the blades power, pushing back the Holy wave of energy and releaving him of the pain, even so, his skin was smoking as Kagome's arrow finally faded and fell to the earth with a dull clatter.

Naraku snarled at the girl, as So'unga pulsed in his hand the blade was crying out for her blood, enjoying the power she had just unleashed while Naraku himself was weakened by the attack.

"Enough, its time I end this, Kagome. It was fun while it lasted." He spoke with arogance he did not feel.

Kagome was on her knee's gasping for breath as she leaned on her bow for support. She watched with grim resignation as Naraku lunged forward So'unga moving to stab her straight through her chest.

Before he made it any further however, a ball of fire, the size of a basket ball came from nowhere and nailed him right in the face, sending him reeling from the back.

Kagome gasped as the fireball hit the floor and dissipated revealing...

_'SHIPPOU!!!'_ She mentally screamed at the sight of the young fox kit, standing like a cat that's about to pounce his fur and ears were standing on end and his eyes, once a gentle sea green were now a raging blood red.

Naraku sneered at the young Kit, not knowing his identity. "What's this Kagome, another fool has come to save you? I wonder why so many cling to you, first Inuyasha, then the wolf, an now this little thing."

He moved to step forward, the Kitsune had merely caught him off guard and even so, the blow was a minor one with little to no pain at all. He paused however when the little Kitsune began to glow a fierce red his Youki spiking to a level just short of Inuyasha's own power without the Tetsusaiga.

The little Kitsune sure wasnt little anymore

Naraku watched in silent facination as the Kitsune grew to the point where it was just a few inches short of five feet tall while standing on all fours.

Kagome was watching the event with a wide eyed, astonished expresion on her face. _'Shippou?'_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kyuubi, who had been silently making her way through the forest let a slow smile filter across her features.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"LOOK, THERE HE IS!!!" Sango yelled pointing at the monk, who had mannaged to errect a barrier around the shrine with many sutra's that were enhanced by some of Naruto's ninjutsu seals to protect the villagers that had gotten there in time to avoid the horde.

Miroku looked up at the sound of her voice. "Sango!" He cried out in relief before throwing five more Sutra which burned a white flame before they shot through three demons each.

Inuyasha looked to Sango. "Since when can he do that?"

She shrugged and looked just as suprised as the Hanyou.

"HAA!" Kagura yelled as she sent more wind blades down, neatly slicing another group that tried to break through the barrier.

"INUYASHA!" Miroku called, "This barrier can stall them well enough but if it recieves too many attacks it will fall, I didnt have time to prepare a proper one, so you must keep the Yokai away from it, or the people will all be killed."

"WHERE'S KAGOME!?"

"I DONT KNOW I HAVENT SEEN HER SINCE THIS MORNING!"

"Fine, Sango, Kagura, you stay here, I'm going to find Kagome."

The two females nodded, before Inuyasha lunged Sango spoke. "How will you know where to look?"

Almost as if it was waiting for the comand, a bright light, that lasted a full ten secoinds came from a few dozen yards into the forest momentarily blinding all of them.

Inuyasha growled low in his throat. "That's how!" Before he leapt to where the light had come from. Leaving a worried group behind.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naraku side stepped as the Kitsune lunged at him, his long, pearly white fangs clamping down around the area where his neck once was.

Naraku moved to place the blade in aready position when one of the Kitsune's tails shot forard and snaked around his neck, catching him off guard. He couldn't gain his footing before the Kitsune pulled him in and stomped down on his chest, pinning him to the ground.

Naraku lifted his left hand and caughght the Kitsune by the throat as it moved to, litterally, bite his face off.

He shifted the blade in his right hand and stabbed the Kitsune clean through.

"SHIPPOU!" Kagome yelled as the Kitsune's eyes again shifted into a dull grean, before they closed.

Naraku pushed the kit off of him where he hit the floor with a dull thud, turning back into his smaller form.

The spider Hanyou stood and watched with cruel satisfaction as Kagome rushed over to the fallen Kitsune, cradling him in her arms.

"Goodbye Kagome." He chuckled before he raised the blade high above his head, purple Youki surrounded the blade pulsing violently as demonic winds came from every direction and a dark dragon with glowing red eyes emmerged from it, its form evil and full of malice glared hungrilly at the Shikon Miko.

**"GOKURYUHA!!!" **He yelled bringing the blade down, releasing the dark blades most powerful attack, the single technique that could never be matched by the Tetsusaiga or the Tensaiga.

Kagome closed her eyes waiting for her inevitable death, when she felt a strong arm wrap around her waist and lift her up effortlessly, she clutched at the newcomer for dear life, waiting for the roar of the attack that had nearly taken her life to die down.

When she oppened her eyes, she thought she would see Inuyasha, but when she saw who her rescuer really was, she had to stiffle a gasp.

"Ahh, lord Sesshomaru, you've decided to grace us with your presence." Naraku sneered at the arival. He was still quite confident, he could match the Inu lord on his own, what Sesshomaru had in skill and technique, Naraku made up for in sheer brute strength and stamina, his ability to regenerate since aquiring his new body was far supperior than even the great dog demons.

A yellow light slowly approached from behind. Naraku smirked coldly as he turned and placed So'unga infront of him, neatly cutting the Wind scar in half. "Ahh, Inuyasha, so glad you could join us...well, now that we're all here, lets really get started. He smirked coldly as his eyes turned completely red and Sounga pulsed violently in his hand.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_'Hold on guy's I'll be there soon.' _Naruto thought as he continued leaping from tree top to treetop still moving at top speed through Inuyasha's forest.

Unknown to him, a certain vixen watched him rush past the tree she was leaning against. She smiled. "Soon Naruto...you're almost there."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Well, here it is, hope you enjoyed it, also, I've decided to focuss alot of my attention on finishing this, The strength of brothers and/or Atwist of fate, since these three are the closest to completion that I have. So to those of you waiting on the Void and Lost Soul, sorry, but I just have too many stories right now and I have to finish at least one of them.

Anyway, thanks and Review please, (Nice long reviews that express your thoughts. Your. Thoughts. Not just another demand for me to update soon.)

Also, there might be a few more mistakes on this chapter than in most, but thats because this isnt my computer so...yeah


	36. Battle for the Shikon: Naruto's arrival

Hi guys I'm back!!!

To those of you asking why Naraku hasn't been possessed by So'unga and how he can wield it, in this story, So'unga was forged from Kyuubi's fang, since she gave it to him, she has stopped the sword from possessing him hence, why he can wield it.

Also some of you are wondering just how strong Naruto, Naraku and Sesshomaru are now that they have their 'new' weapons well here's your answer.

Sesshomaru with the new Tensusaiga '13' (previously 11)

Naraku with So'unga '18' (previously 11)

Naruto with his new weapons '???' (yes, I have settled on a name, it will be revealed after his fight)

Anyway, now that we've cleared that up lets get on with the story.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naraku laughed cruelly, his glowing blood red eyes watching the two Inu-brothers. Inuyasha to his left, Sesshomaru to his right. "So then, which one of you will I gut first?" He asked himself.

"Do not flatter yourself, parasite." Sesshomaru spoke as he drew Tenseiga from its sheath the blade pulsed and glowed with a calm blue glow.

"That's right bastard, today is when I'll put you down for good" Inuyasha threw a look at his older half brother which relayed one simple message. _'Truce for now at least' _as Tetsusaiga also pulsed, the blade glowing a bright yellow color.

At this Naraku's smirk dropped lightly but came back full force shortly after. No mater what they threw at him there was no way he would lose to these mutts.

"You first then Inuyasha." He said as he raised the blade and sliced the air.** "Gokuryuha!!!" **

Inuyasha snarled as he ran, he remembered the last time he had seen that attack. He had tried to send it back with the **Bakuryuha**…lets just say that it ended with…less than favorable results, he wasn't about to try his hand on it again.

Sesshomaru left his perch on the tree and rushed towards the hanyou, his claws dripping with acid as he let his whip fly.

Naraku turned and batted the attack away with So'unga as if it was an annoying fly, and then blocked The Tensaiga as Sesshomaru took a swing at him. "Lord Sesshomaru you insult me? What good is fighting with a blade that does not cut?" He laughed mockingly at the dog demon.

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes, he placed more pressure on the blade and then…

Naraku barely reacted in time as he stepped back avoiding The claw swipe delivered by Sesshomaru's other hand, he had been so used to seeing the dog demon with just one arm he didn't even realize he was hiding the newly restored one in his sleeve, even so, he had three slashes on his face to prove his carelessness.

Sesshomaru's claws dripped with acid as he spoke. "I do not need a blade that cuts flesh to defeat you hanyou."

Naraku snarled at the dog demon before rushing him again. Sesshomaru took up his fighting stance and met his charge with his own. Metal clashed with metal as the two exchanged blows, loud clangs echoed through the forest

Naraku took a horizontal swing at the dog demon, only to have Sesshomaru spin once, around the swing, and deliver a solid elbow to the spider Hanyou's face. Naraku reeled from the blow and watched as Sesshomaru's claws again glowed green with his acidic Youki.

As the dog demon moved to impale him Naraku reacted, turning So'unga in his grasp he stabbed it into Sesshomaru's palm, Naraku's strength, added to Sesshomaru's own momentum, dug the blade as deep as the forearm, just slightly above the wrist.

Sesshomaru cursed before pulling his hand back and punching the Hanyou away with it.

Naraku smirked as he took up his fighting stance again.

"HRAGH!!!"

Naraku spun around, barely having enough time to block the Tetsusaiga as Inuyasha came at him with a downward swing.

Sesshomaru seized this opportunity and rushed forward, approaching Naraku from behind.

The spider demon turned, one hand still holding Inuyasha back while the other turned into numerous tentacles that rushed the western lord.

Sesshomaru didn't even pause in his stride as he formed his poison whip and sliced the incoming appendages to ribbons.

Naraku cursed as he pushed Inuyasha's sword to the side and kicked the dog Hanyou right in the chest, sending him sprawling back. He leapt away just as Sesshomaru took a swing with the Tensaiga.

However, something most unexpected occurred, when Sesshomaru completed his swing a black, cut or slice momentarily appeared in thin air, revealing a black arc that closed shortly after.

As Naraku landed he stared at the western lord with a new sense of caution.

"WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?" Inuyasha yelled as he got to his feet.

Sesshomaru stared dispassionately at his younger brother. "That Half-breed, is the Tensaiga's ultimate attack, the _Meidou-Zangetsuha._ It opens a portal into the realm of the dead." He stared back at Naraku. "It kills any who touch it instantly."

Naraku's eyes narrowed before he smirked. "Then I suppose I had better keep you occupied, lord Sesshomaru."

He turned and sliced his sword over the ground. Sesshomaru and Inuyasha tensed when they felt a foul presence fill the air.

An arm, rotting and half decayed emerged from the ground, and then a body, one of a bull demon, more soon followed, a horse demon, various low level Yokai wolf demons, until there were virtually hundreds of them.

Sesshomaru and Inuyasha both growled at the sight. They remembered these from the last time they had fought So'unga.

Kagome gasped from her place nearby. "That's right, So'unga can revive any demon its killed, Naraku must have done this before he came."

She looked uneasily at Shippou's unconscious form and bit her lip in hesitation.

Finally coming to a decision she stood ad ran. When she was satisfied with the distance, she set Shippou down as gently as possible and stabbed one of her arrows next to him erecting a small but strong barrier to protect him.

She gave him one more worried glance before she grabbed her bow and rushed to get back.

Meanwhile back at the clearing, Sesshomaru snarled at the parasitic hanyou as he gave them a smug smirk. These creatures were of the undead, and so, the Tensaiga was the better weapon against them.

"Inuyasha." He called to his younger brother, catching his attention. "You hold off Naraku, while I deal with this."

"Who the hell said, you're the boss of me!?" He snarled in anger.

"Just shut up and do it Inuyasha!!!" Came Kagome's voice before a purified arrow shot between the two purifying eight of the undead Yokai.

"I'll help Sesshomaru so we can get rid of them quicker, just make sure Naraku doesn't go after us." She said notching another arrow.

Inuyasha looked quite pissed that Kagome was basically ordering him to co-operate with his hated half-brother.

Sesshomaru chose to bite his tongue in order to hold the comment he was going to say about not needing a Ningen's help, he had nearly been killed the last time he had faced So'unga, he did not want a repeat performance.

Naraku snarled at her form, having forgotten that she was even there. She was always the thorn in his side. Most of his well thought out plans failed because of her interference.

He tightened his grip on the sword of hell, he would get rid of his nuisance now.

He leapt up, over both Inu brothers, landing directly infront of her, he reared his sword back, ready to kill her once and for all.

"OH NO YOU DON'T?" Inuyasha yelled as he interlocked Naraku's sword arm with his free one. He pulled as hard as he could, flipping the spider Hanyou over his shoulder, placing himself between him and Kagome.

Naraku rolled with the momentum getting to his feet in a second and raising his sword in preparation to use the Gokuryuha.

Inuyasha however followed up the toss with a swing of the Tetsusaiga. "WIND SCAR!" The attack was launched at point blank range, Naraku barely had time to place the So'unga in front of him for protection as it deflected most of the attack.

Even so when the dust settled his entire body was covered in deep gashes and lacerations.

Naraku snarled "You'll pay for that worthless mutt!"

"Just try it bastard! Kagome, go and get rid of those Zombies."

The futuristic Miko nodded before rushing past the two.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Meanwhile, in a clearing just a few hundred yards away the remaining members of the group were fighting off the army of Yokai.

"HIRAIKOTSU!!!" Sango yelled throwing her large boomerang again, slicing off the heads of eight or nine demons.

"Fujin no Mai!" Kagura yelled sending another wave of her wind blades.

Miroku threw ten sutras, which formed a semi circle infront of him. He chanted a prayer and slammed his staff on the ground, it glowed for a brief moment before several beams of white light shot out from them and headed towards the Sutras, at random intervals at high speeds purifying several of the demons infront of him with each blast

Sango caught the Monk's display and swooped down, unsheathing her sword and killing another demon on the way. "What on earth did you just do Miroku?"

The lecherous monk smiled before showing several complicated looking sutras wrapped to the bottom of his staff. "I combined religious incantations along with Naruto-sama's seals. These at the bottom of the staff amplify my own holy energy and the ones I threw draw it out, like a focus.

Sango smiled. "I'm glad, I think he'll be proud of you once he gets back."

Miroku smiled and nodded.

"I hate to interrupt but will you two fools stop this foolishness? We're in the middle of a battle." Kagura spoke sending out more of her wind blades.

Sango nodded. 'Kirara" She commanded. The fire Neko roared before she rushed up to gain altitude.

Before she was out of range however Miroku somehow managed to cop a feel, of his favorite part of her anatomy.

Sango resisted the urge to bash him unconscious…for now. Once that battle was over though, he would be getting his punishment.

Kirara rose until she was high above all of the other demons, Sango shifted through her weapons pouch and took out several Shuriken and Kunai, throwing them down, like a rain of metal.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX\

Sesshomaru sidestepped a sloppy swing one of the undead attempted to deliver from behind and lobbed off the foul creatures head, the body dropped without another motion.

He vanished a moment later, reappearing almost ten yards away the Tensaiga pulsing in his hand as the dead bodies fell easily.

He rushed forward again, leaping high into the air, where he landed in the center of a large group of their undead opponents. He began spinning, and in a second, a black void appeared, indicating the _Meidou Zangetsuha_ was being used. The zombies immediately caught in the attack were sucked into the void, once again going to the land of the dead where they belonged.

Others remained unaffected at least until the Zangetsuha formed a complete circle around the dog demon, now the souls of the undead demons were literally being sucked straight out of their bodies, leaving the rotting corpses lifeless once again.

As Kagome launched another of her purified arrows she couldn't help but feel rather inadequate next to the demon lord, he had just killed about…well a lot of them in just a few seconds while she couldn't hope to come close to that power unless she poured over 1/3 of her strength into it.(Never mind that she killed roughly twenty of them with each shot.

She was getting ready to launch another arrow at one of the approaching demons when something caught in her peripheral vision.

One of the undead demon was literally coming out of a shadow of a tree behind Sesshomaru. The Taiyokai, was busy fending off attacks from four other demons and was currently too distracted to sense it. Not that it was making much sound to begin with.

She turned her sights onto it, ignoring the demons approaching her and let it fly.

Sesshomaru turned at the sound, and saw the arrow heading towards him._ 'The Miko has betrayed me?'_ It was mildly surprising, from what he could tell she was never that kind of person. But still, she was human, and they tended to be such foolish creatures.

But when the arrow merely passed him by and he heard a high pitched screech behind him, Sesshomaru looked over his shoulder to see the purifying remains of a shadow demon.

He looked back at the Miko, and saw one of the demons had gotten close to her while she was helping him. She wouldn't be able to turn in time and not even he would be able to make it there in time to save her.

Kagome heard the growling behind her and turned her startled eyes behind to see a boar Yokai holding a very big, very blunt looking ax over his head ready to bash her skull open.

Kagome closed her eyes and waited for the inevitable blow when a roar came from the boar Yokai. Kagome looked and gasped as an arrow stuck out from the Yokai's chest before he was purified to ash.

Kagome looked to where it had apparently come from and found Kikyo standing several yards away, her normal emotionless look adorning her face.

Kagome was brought out of her shock as the dead priestess tossed her a spare quiver of arrows, the projectiles being held in place by a tight strap over and around them.

Kagome caught the arrows as they practically landed on her chest with a small "Omph"

Before anyone could call the dead priestess on her actions she simply notched another arrow in her bow and took up the fight again.

Kagome choose file it away in the 'weirdest day of my life' file in her mind, after all, first some insanely strong fox demoness warns her about the attack, then Sesshomaru of all people saves her from Naraku and now Kikyo also saves her.

She sighed before placing the quiver on her back and pulling out one of the arrows.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Inuyasha snarled as he struggled against Naraku, the two were locked in a deadlock, the sound of metal scraping metal was loud in both their ears.

Naraku pushed Inuyasha back, Swinging his sword horizontally, Inuyasha leapt up over it and delivered a kick to Naraku in the process, Naraku blocked the blow with his right forearm keeping a firm grip on So'unga with his left.

He reversed his grip on the sword and came in with an upward slashing motion.

Inuyasha grunted as he used Tetsusaiga to block the attack and then head butted the spider hanyou, sending him reeling.

Inuyasha followed up the headbut with a slash of his claws. "IRON REAVER!!!" He cried slashing him across the chest. Naraku stumbled back before regaining his footing. He stood still for a few moments, the silky strands of his black hair obscuring his face from view.

Inuyasha breathed heavily, he smirked at Naraku's still form. "When I'm done with you they're gonna need chopsticks to pick up the pieces!"

Naraku smirked and began chuckling, the slow cruel laugh reverberating through the clearing.

Inuyasha snarled. 'What the hell is so funny?"

Naraku's laughter died somewhat but his smirk still remained. "It has been fun Inuyasha, but its time that I end this."

"Over my dead body." He ground out through gritted teeth.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." The spider demon's smirk grew into a positively psychotic expression as So'unga pulsed in his hand, only this time it was much worse, a blood red aura surrounded the blade, making it look like its namesake "The sword of hell"

The aura converged around Naraku, His Yoki seemed to spike tremendously, so muh so that even Miroku and Sango could feel it from there fighting area.

Naraku let a few small laughs escape him before he vanished from sight and reappeared infront of Inuyasha.

The dog eared hanyou barely had enough time to let out a small "Holy shi…" before So'unga impaled him right through the gut.

He gasped and clutched the blade stopping it from going in any further, Naraku continued to push him back until he hit a tree. Inuyasha snarled and reared his hand back to swing the Tetsusaiga when Naraku twisted the blade in his gut, along with increasing the swords aura, which was already burning him in the first place.

Inuyasha screamed his grip on the Tetsusaia slackening slightly, an opportunity Naraku took to beat the sword out of his grip and into another tree where it transformed back into its original state.

"Now, Inuyasha, its time to die." He said in a slow, satisfied voice as he raised his free hand, which turned into a cloud of Miasma, and went right into the Hanyou's face, entering his nostrils, mouth and even his eyes. His cry was strangled in his throat before his world faded into darkness.

"INUYASHA!!!" Naraku heard Kagome scream. He turned slowly, reveling in the anger and worry that rolled off her in waves. When he turned though, he was surprised to see Kikyo standing just a few yards behind Kagome, most of the undead were…well…dead already, and the ones that weren't were too injured to be any real threat.

Naraku laughed as he removed the blade from Inuyasha's stomach and tossed him aside, his pale, near lifeless form falling over with a dull thud.

At the sight of his brothers lifeless form falling to the ground, Sesshomaru felt a…a small pain in his chest. Saying they had their differences was an understatement, but still, there was just something that…felt wrong about his brother, laying there at Naraku's feet.

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes, the hanyou would pay.

With this thought in mind Sesshomaru cut up the last of his undead opponents and rushed Naraku fully intent on killing him.

Naraku laughed and raised his blade before meeting Sesshomaru's charge with his own.

The two demons met halfway, their clash sending a shockwave through the forest as their respective Youki crackled and permeated the air in its heavy, oppressing grip.

Kagome felt an arm grip her shoulder she turned to see Kikyo with a grim expression on her face. "Come, we have to get Inuyasha out of here, if Sesshomaru-sama gains the upper hand, Naraku could try to use him against us, or he could simply be caught in the crossfire."

Kagome nodded, trying to keep her composure despite the situation and followed Kikyo as they moved to the fallen Hanyou.

Sesshomaru's fight meanwhile, was getting more and more intense with every second as both demons raised their Youki higher and higher to match each others strength. Their blows were moving to fast to be caught by human eyes.

It was broken when Sesshomaru dodged another of Naraku's swings and lashed out with his Youki, pushing Naraku back with enough force to send him up to the tree tops. The western Taiyokai, followed shortly after meeting the Hanyou in mid air where they again exchanged attacks.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kagome and Kikyo were currently carrying Inuyasha away from the battle when Kagome suddenly remembered something. "SHIPPOU!" She yelled startling Kikyo.

"The fox kit?" The undead priestess asked.

"Yes, he was hurt during the battle, I placed a barrier around him but I have to go get him."

Kikyo paused for a moment before she hefted more of Inuyasha's weight over her shoulder. "Go then."

Kagome nodded in appreciation before she gently removed Inuyasha's weight from herself and ran in the direction she had left the young Kit.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naraku and Sesshomaru landed on a tree branch where the two took a moment to gain their balance before beginning their exchange anew, with Sesshomaru again pushing Naraku back.

Naraku gritted his teeth when he felt his foot reach the edge of the tree, he blocked a swing from Tensaiga then another and a third, before Sesshomaru swiped at his legs, the moment he chose to somersault over the dog demon. He swung as he passed over. Sesshomaru ducked, avoiding the attack and spun around, fluidly blocking Naraku's next swing as he landed. The blow however was strong enough to open his guard, leaving him open to the next attack which was a solid kick to Sesshomaru's chest which sent the Taiyokai flying back.

Naraku appeared behind the Taiyokai raising So'unga.

When he brought it down however Sesshomaru simply vanished, using his Yokai cloud to carry him through the air at extremely high speeds. To Naraku the western lord was barely a white blur as numerous slashes appeared all across his body, the black crescent of the Zangetsuha appearing with each of the Taiyokai's strikes, taking more and more of the souls that made up his whole body.

His eyes bled into red. He refused to die at the hands of this dog.

So'unga, sensing his lust for power and desire to live, fed off these emotions like a hungry parasite as its red aura spiked and then exploded outwards in a great wave.

Sesshomaru, caught off guard by this new development, ouldnt pull back in time and received the blast full force, other than the minimal protection the Tensaiga offered in the onslaught, he had little more protection.

The Taiyokai, gritted his teeth, refusing to cry out in pain, even as the wave of red Youki washed over him. It felt as if he had decended into the deepest pit of hell, his own Yoki tried to fight against it but even he found himself powerless against the blade of hell.

When the dust settled Naraku stood, a satisfied expression adorning his face as the western lord slowly stood up, his clothes were scorched, and burn marks covered nearly his whole body.

Naraku laughed, raising the So'unga over his head. 'Farewell, lord Sesshomaru!!!"

Before he could attack however, he heard the twang of a bowstring reach his ears and lazily leaned back, letting the projectile pass him by harmlessly.

Kagome had been on her way to get Shippou, but when she had seen the red blast hit sesshomaru, she knew that it would be too much, even for the western lord. While one part of her told her to run, the other would never allow her to simply leave someone to die, especially if the person had saved her before.

He extended his free hand which turned into a mass of tentacles and grabbed the futuristic Miko by her throat, never removing his eyes from the Taiyokai stopping her from grabbing another arrow, even so, her Miko aura struggled against his Youki, attempting to purify him.

He chuckled at her fire. "Well Kagome, since you're so eager, you can die with him!!!" He laughed before throwing her at the Inu. Sesshomaru caught her and placed her down. He would have tried to in order to get out of Gokuryuuha's attack range, but the spider Hanyou had already proven more than capable of keeping up with him, his only choice was to try and stave off the attack with one of Tensaiga's barriers.

"Miko, you are adept at barriers are you not?" He spoke calmly not turning to face her. As he felt her nod he spoke again. "When he releases his attack, form the strongest barrier you can. Once the attack dies down, I will attack him, he will most likely overestimate himself and believe we will both perish with his next attack and let his guard down."

Kagome nodded again and focused.

Already the tell tale winds were picking up as the dragons came from the blade their red eyes speaking of hatred and bloodlust as it built up.

Naraku's expression was positively gleeful, this was the moment where he eliminated his three greatest threats, Inuyasha was already as good as dead and now Sesshomaru and Kagome would soon follow him. After them, there was no one in the four great Yokai territories that could stand up to him.

"FAREWELL!!!" he yelled as he swung.

The attack was the most powerful he had released, tearing through the landscape with the force of one-thousand earthquakes. The harsh winds nearly blowing Kagome away, if not for Sesshomaru holding her in place she was sure she would have been.

Kagome focused all of her strength and formed a barrier infront of them, the pearlecent white light a stark contrast to the purple wave of destruction heading for them. Sesshomaru soon formed his own barrier behind hers, and the two braced themselves for the inevitable attack.

A massive explosion rocked the entire area, the tree's were completely uprooted and blown away, absolutely nothing survived,

Kagome's scream could barely be heard over the roar of the thrashing winds. But she was confused, she still hadn't felt any strain on her barrier, was Sesshomaru attempting to hold off the attack himself.

She looked at him but one look at his surprised eyes revealed that it was not he who was responsible to their survival.

She followed his gaze and gasped as she saw the silhouette of a person beyond the dust cloud.

When it finally settled, she had to stifle another gasp, and the tears of joy that threatened to fall down her cheeks.

Stark blond hair, sea blue eyes that shined with mirth and a black facemask.

Naruto stood before her, a sword with the design of a dragon being held in his grasp as it glowed blue and hissed from the heat of the previously deflected attack.

"Naruto?" She asked carefully as she stepped forward, she really wanted to make sure it was him.

"Don't cry Kagome." Naruto smiled at her through his mask as he spoke reassuringly, almost as if he was speaking to a child. "Don't you know? The hero always shows up late."

She smiled, only he could pull off a joke at a time like this.

Naruto's eyes lost all mirth as he turned them onto the spider Hanyou's fearful ones. "Now then…I think you and I have a score to settle."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

There ya go, hope I made this fight scene believable. I have personally never seen either So'unga or Sesshomaru's Meido Zangetsuha in action, so if anyone can explain them thoroughly to me then please do so, I get all my mental images from Wikipedia and small flashes I catch on Youtube AMV's

Anyway, read and review please


	37. Battle of the Shikon prt:3

Hi guys I'm back miss me?

Well here's the new chapter.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto stared at the spider Hanyou, his cool blue hues promising a very swift, yet very painful death to the spider demon.

Naraku shook his head as he was still reeling from the shock. "This is not possible." He suddenly felt an arm sling over his shoulders, he turned and saw Naruto leaning on him as he held up two fingers as if to clarify. "Correction, not probable."

Naraku snarled and swiped at the young Anbu with his blade, cutting off his head in one swift chop before the blond vanished in a puff of smoke.

"HOW ARE YOU STILL ALIVE!!!? YOU DIED, I KNOW YOU DID!!!" He yelled in anger as he searched for the odd ninja.

"Death- the end of all vital functions or processes in an organism or cell" Naruto read from a dictionary he had somehow miraculously picked up from thin air before he snapped it shut and threw it at the Hanyou. Naraku shredded it to pieces as he snarled at the blond.

"Mou, and that was my last one too." Naruto wined theatrically at the sight of his torn dictionary.

Naraku's fury spiked so much Naruto felt as if the temperature rose several notches as the Youki around both him and So'unga grew.

The spider demon raised the evil blade infront of him and swung. **"Gokuryuha!!!" **

The dragon twister streaked towards him, tearing up earth, rubble, tree's and roots alike as it headed towards him. Naruto unsheathed his blue dragon sword and lazily placed it infront of him. When the attack finally reached him it met with a solid, unshakable barrier. It splintered, spreading out behind him in a dazzling light show.

Naruto looked around as the lights surrounded him. "Pretty." He stated after a moment. Then, he griped his blade harder and cut the air infront of him, dispelling both the barrier and the Gokuryuuha._ 'Well the first ability is easy enough, a barrier that cannot be broken. Let's see what else I can discover about these blades.' _He wondered as unsheathed his second red fox sword.

Naraku snarled his entire eye glowing absolutely red as his rage spiked tremendously. Sesshomaru, Taiyokai of the western lands and the strongest Miko's since the great Midoriko herself couldn't defeat him, he refused to admit defeat to this damn human.

The fox sword pulsed in his hands as red chakra formed around it, however, the diference of his and So'unga's red aura was that So'unga's aura was a dark, and seemed to consume yet clash with everything that came into contact, even Naraku's own aura, never blending, always separate while the fox swords red aura took the form of a flame, melding with Naruto's own chakra as it slowly crept up his arm, embracing his…familiar presence.

Naruto closed his eyes and suddenly felt a rush. As if he was moving at very high speed before images began flashing through his minds eye. _'I see' _

He raised his fox blade the chakra slowly growing outwards until it suddenly exploded in a great wave of red chakra. It looked as if a tornado of flames towered above him. The harsh winds making Kagome have to brace herself against a tree in order to keep herself steady. Naraku shielded his eyes, his anger rising as he was involuntarily pushed back. Even Sesshomaru looked as if he was struggling to hold his ground.

Naruto stared at the spider demon with cold resolve before he cut the air infront of him. **"Kitsune GoKa: Umi no Ho"** He yelled as the red chakra that toward above him exploded forth, heading towards the spider hanyou.

Naraku snarled as he raised his own blade, purple winds encircled him as he poured more power into the attack than what he had ever done before. **"GOKURYUHA!" **He yelled with all his might as he slahed the air with the So'unga. Purple dragons flew from the blade and the surrounding winds heading straight for the red wave of flame like chakra that approached him.

Suddenly, the red mass shifted it form to form several fox like shapes in an imitation to the dragon heads.

The two attacks clashed in a great explosion. Not even the tree Kagome had held herself against could hold against the great winds caused by the force of the blast. Both her and the unconscious Shippou would have been sent flying had it not been for a Taiyokai who found it in his best interest to create distance between himself and these two attacks. The Miko was just on his way.

Naruto watched the two attacks collide and felt a slender arm wrap around his shoulders as delicate fingers caressed his masked cheek. He felt a definite feminine chin rest on his right shoulder and felt the rumble in her chest as she laughed. "Mmmm, not bad for your first try."

He glanced back at her fanged smirk. "You truly don't have anything better to do, do you?"

She stepped back and put her hands in the air in an 'I don't know' gesture. "Eternity is a long time, have to pass the time somehow. By the way, you might want to pay attention." She said pointing back at Naraku's direction. The blond turned in time to see his attack break through Naraku's and continue on its way.

'_What that's…impossible.' _Naraku thought in absolute bafflement he barely brought himself out of his stupor in time to form one of his barriers.

But, to his immense surprise and terror, he felt the orb around him weaken, to be able to break through his barrier..as well as the Gokuryuha…that power was unimaginable. He placed So'unga infront of him, allowing it to take the last vestiges of the attack even so, he was severely shaken up, when the dust settled he swallowed the lump of fear in his throat and glared at the blond with all the hatred he could muster.

"This is not over human." He snarled as he began forming a barier to levitate himself away.

Naruto calmly connected his two blades and spun them once over his head. "Leaving so soon? Please, have a taste of some spine chilling terror before you go!" He said mockingly before he swung the blade. Sending the red blast streaking towards the spider hanyou.

Naraku placed So'unga infront of him and strengthened his barrier as he sped up his accent. The barrier threatened to break again before he finally escaped the blonds range.

Naruto watched the Hanyou leave with his proverbial tail between his legs, the remainder of his broken army following shortly after. He sighed once before an ear piercing squeal nearly busted his eardrums while simultaneously giving him a heart attack. He turned and barely mannaged to catch the bundle of energy known as Rin as she glomped him, nearly toppling him over in the process.

"NARUTOSAMARINSAWEVERYTHINGYOUCAMEINSTOPPEDTHEPURPLETHINGIESANDTHENHESENTANOTHERONEANDTHENYOUDIDTHEOTHERTHINGWITHTHESWORDTHATMADEABIGBOOMANDSENTTHEBADMANRU…" She was stopped by Naruto gently placing a finger over her lips as he blinked rapidly trying to get the ringing out of his ears he could only mutter a simple. "Thank you Rin…for that incredible description." God how he tried not to sound too sarcastic.

He was rewarded by further ear-damage and suffocation as the child squealed and hugged even tighter, amking the blond go slightly blue. "Rin…air." He gasped.

"Rin." Came the deep baritone of one Taiyokai. The young child stiffened as she continued to deprive him of much needed oxygen and slowly turned her head to where she had heard the voice, finding the white clad form of the western lord. Clothes slightly burnt and disheveled, but none the less, still him. She didn't even notice Naruto begin to turn purple as he began to try and pry her arms off, but with no such luck. Even his vision was beginning to turn dark around the edges.

'_What the hell kind of chakra does she have? This is ridiculous…I cant believe I'm about to die from a hug…this sucks.'_

Finally he could breathe again as Rin squealed her high pitched squeal again and clambered off him, he took in the very necessary oxygen watching as the child ran to the western lord. He would have to thank the Taiyokai for his timely arrival.

"SESSHOMARU-SAMA!" Rin squealed. Sesshomaru expected her to simply do what she always did hug his leg. But to his surprise he saw the muscles in her legs coil back before she gave a leap worthy of a grasshopper demon as she practically lunged at him. He tossed Tensaiga from his right hand to his left and caught the child in his, now unoccupied right arm, letting her hug his neck. "SESSHOMARU-SAMA I MISSED YOU!!! She yelled exuberantly making him bite back a wince. His hearing was quite sensitive after all.

"Rin, are you well?" He asked as he kneeled to set her down. She released him from her grip. (Making Naruto twitch in irritation. He had never seen a purple Inu before, that was probably his best chance)

She nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, Naruto-sama took good care of Rin. She suddenly pouted and Sesshomaru bit back a groan, he could smell the salt of her incoming tears now.

"Why did Sesshomaru-sama leave Rin?"

He rolled the words along his tongue for a bit before he spoke. "I was…in a place where you could not go." He stated simply.

Her pout suddenly turned into a smile. 'Okay" She chirped.

Sesshomaru raised an eye at the girls rapidly changing moods.

Naruto smiled at the interaction between the demon lord and young girl. He turned at the sound of footsteps and found Kagome walking over to him, tears falling from her eyes and trailing down her pale cheeks. "Naruto?" She questioned again.

His familiar smile adorned his features as he separated and sheathed his swords as he walked over to her. "Hey Kagome its been a while." He said as he smiled before he let his eyes travel to the unconscious Kitsune in her arms. Kagome followed his gaze, sadness replaced her joy at her reunion with her friend.

"Shippou?" Naruto questioned. At Kagome's nod he placed a hand over the wounded kitsune. 'Don't worry, he'll be fine."

She smiled and nodded optimistically.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kikyo grunted as she set Inuyasha down on the forest floor, she had heard distant rumbles and harsh gusts of wind hit her frame, nearly making her fall with their intensity, but she had made it a very good distance away. Finally settling him down she began to look for a way to extract the poison from his system.

As she was looking she didn't notice the presence behind her until the person's voice reached her ears. "Ohh, little Miko, that technique is all wrong." Kikyo turned and found a scarlet haired fox demoness approaching. She reached for her bow when the Kitsune waved her hand, freezing her in place.

Kikyo tried to move, but no mater how hard she tried her limbs just wouldn't move, it was as if all her muscles had just seized up.

Kyuubi walked over to the fallen Hanyou and smirked at his unseeing amber gaze. She placed an open palm infront of his mouth as Kikyo watched helplessly.

Inuyasha began to convulse and shake violently as spasms racked his body.

He oppened his mouth and his eyes and the Miasma began to leak out the purple cloud of burning poison forming a ball in the palm of her hand.

She smirked as she stood, dispelling the cloud of poison. "Tell the Hanyou when he wakes up not to get killed again, next time…I wont have to save him." She said before walking away. As soon as she was out of sight Kikyo felt that she could move again. She began checking the Hanyou and sighed in relief when she found no trae of the poison in him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"LADY KAGOME!!" Came Miroku's voice as he ran towards them, Sango, Kirara and Kagura following through the air, each paused as they caught sight of the familiar masked figure.

Naruto simply smiled and waved. "Hiya."

Getting out of their stupor the three made their way over. As soon as Sango was off, Kirara transformed into her smaller self and bounded up Naruto's pants and onto his shoulder. Mewing happily as she licked his cheek. Naruto laughed as he scratched under her chin. "Been a while there Kirara."

He looked around and finally noticed something. "I don't here cursing, thrashing, or sounds of near destruction so…where's Inuyasha?" He questioned. At Kagome's gasp he knew something was wrong.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kikyo stiffened as she heard footsteps. This time not waiting to grab her bow she gripped it and turned, notching an arrow she waited for the figures to come into view.

Finally, Kagome, Miroku, Sango, and Kagura appeared followed closely by Naruto and Kirara, along with Rin, and Sesshomaru, who had followed merely to see if this day marked his brother's death.

Kagome knelt next to the fallen Hanyou and placed a hand to his forehead. "But…he was poisoned…how'd you manage to get it all out so quickly."

Kikyo shook her head. "I didn't do this. A fox demoness, came and extracted the poison from him."

It was lost to all but Sesshomaru, but the only blond of the group had suddenly tensed and was now trying to discreetely get a bit further away from the group. Sesshomaru sniffed the air and noticed that the ninja had the female Kitsune's scent all over him.

This immediately caught the groups attention. Sango narrowed her eyes "Did she have long red hair, black armor and red eyes?"

Kikyo looked surprised but slowly nodded.

Naruto turned to leave but simply came face to face with the amber gaze of a Yokai lord. He turned to go the other way when he faced a very irritated looking wind mistress. "I think." She drawled as she close her fan with a snap. "That you have some explaining to do Uzumaki…a lot of explaining to do."

Naruto laughed somewhat nervously. "What makes you think I know anything?"

She walked forward stuck a hand in his top pocket and pulled out a note. "This smells a lot like that demoness." She explained before she oppened the note and read. 'No mater what he says, he knows everything. Feel free to beat the answers out of him." She read outloud.

Naruto blinked. _'When did she…when she put an arm around me during the battle…THAT BITCH."_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Meanwhile in a nearby tree a certain woman chuckled at his predicament.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Well here ya go, next chapter is when Naruto reveals everything to the Inu group.


	38. Secrets revealed

Here I am.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto's eye twitched dangerously as he promised himself to…to…do something to that meddling Kitsune female next time they crossed paths. He wasn't sure exactly what he 'could' do but damnit he would figure something out.

"Ahem." The sound of Kagura clearing her throat to catch his attention brought him out of his musings of revenge. At everyone's glares that clearly said. "You had beter start talking." He sighed. He supposed it had to happen eventually, he had hopped against hope that they wouldn't bring it up, but even without Kyuubi he knew he had to face the piper since Gamakichi had practically yelled it out to the world…

Speaking of which, the toad was probably pissed right now because he forgot to summon him so they could talk.

Ahh well, he'd summon him soon, he couldn't be that pissed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Meanwhile in the summon realm a giant orange toad was currently playing darts, his target was the picture of a fox head… and every time he threw a dart he would always mutter something along the lines of "I'll fucking kill him."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The blond sighed and held up his hands in a placating gesture. "Fine fine, I'll talk…" He said. He then pointed to Inuyasha, but only after he wakes up, this isn't a story I'm repeating twice." The group nodded their consent, Sesshomaru looked like he was about to say something but Naruto cut him off. "And I would like to have a word with you in private Sesshomaru-sama."

The Taiyokai paused before he slowly nodded at the blond ninja.

Naruto then turned and smiled to the group. 'Well then, why don't you all head back to the village now, I'll join you soon."

They each seemed wary of leaving the blond alone with the Taiyokai, but knowing that he could handle himself and could get a big ass frog to help him they each nodded, placed Inuyasha and Shippou on Kirara's back and began making their way to the village.

Naruto then looked to the child humming happily next to them as she picked flowers.

Naruto blinked, seemingly waiting for her to realize that she too had to go with them. When she was seemingly content to pick her flowers and made absolutely no move to leave. "Ummmmm……Rin?" He addressed her causing her to look up and smile at him.

"Yes Naruto-sama?"

He smiled, his eyes softening at her tone. "Rin I need to talk alone with Sesshomaru-sama alone for a moment. Why don't you follow the others."

She took a wary glance at the group. Sensing her unease he smiled comfortingly. "Don't worry they're nice."

As if needing extra reassurance she looked to Sesshomaru. The Taiyokai, while not fond of the group knew that they would treat her well. He nodded once. She smiled. "Okay." She chirped before running after them.

Kakgome, who was trailing behind the group paused at the sound of foot steps behind her, she turned and caught sight of Rin, the young girl paused in her run. Kagome smiled warmly at her. "Hello, what is your name?" She asked as she offered her hand.

Rin smiled at her and took the offered hand. "Rin is Rin."

"Rin huh? That's a nice name.

Naruto watched the group leave before he turned back to Sesshomaru, the Taiyokai wore an expression of…….blankness.

How surprising!

He cleared his throat before spoke. "Lord sesshomaru, I could beat around the bush all day with boring drabble, but I wont for two reasons, the first is that…I don't want to and the second is that you'll probably get sick and tired of the pointless drable and either demand for me to get to the point or lob my head off, which I prefer to have firmly on my shoulders thank you."

"Your point?" Sesshomaru interrupted as he indeed did get tired of the humans babbling quite quickly.

Naruto smirked "Simple I would like to…propose an…alliance of sorts. At least until we defeat Naraku."

Sesshomaru didn't say anything for a moment. "It appears human…that those blades of yours give you more than enough strength to defeat Naraku, even with So'unga at his side." He said with just a hint of anger seeping into his voice. The fact that this human, a HUMAN was stronger than him was definitely an…irritating notion.

Naruto nodded. 'True…but still, Naraku will no doubt try something when we meet again, Inuyasha…well…cant really think straight in a situation where he or his allies are cornered, you on the other hand, can." Naruto said as he stroked the dog demons ego. Probably the best way to get him to agree.

"Flatery will get you nowhere human." Sesshomaru said shooting down that thought before it could even take flight.

Naruto's shoulders sagged as he put on a disappointed expression. "Mou, and I was sure that would work." He then looked at Sesshomaru square in the eye. "Still, its basically the same deal, Naraku's demise would be much much easier if you were there and probably a lot quicker. After he's dead We'll come to the village and do something and you can…go…do….whatever it is that…you do." He finished.

Sesshomaru stared at him with those golden suns of amber and Naruto held his gaze steadily.

After several seconds Sesshomaru nodded. 'Very well." Naruto bowed respectfully. "Thank you, Sesshomaru-sama." He spoke formally before he straightened and walked past him, heading towards the village.

"Rin will remain with me human, despite your fondness of her."

Naruto stopped before he looked up to the sky and smiled. "As long as she's happy." With those simple words he continued his walk leaving the western lord to his own devices.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto walked to Kaede's hut. He saw Rin run into the hut, he was still quite a ways away so she didn't notice him. But when she entered the hut, a few seconds passed before he heard an ear piercing scream. He rushed forward, appearing at the door way in less than a second.

Just in time to see Rin grab Kirara, who was now in her smaller form and hug the living crap out of her screaming 'Kawai' at the top of her lungs as Kirara seemed to be turning blue as she let out small 'mew's of agony. Sango looked horrified, Miroku looked amused, as did Kagura, Kagome had a look of pitty as she struggled to hold back her laughter. Even Kikyo had a look of mild amusement.

Naruto blinked a few times before he let a slow chuckle escape his lips, he laughed again, and again, it grew louder, The rich deep baritone growing until it was loud guffaws of laughter as he wiped a stray tear. When he looked back at the group, many of them were looking at him with somewhat astonished eyes.

"What?" He questioned.

Kagome snapped out of her trance as she spoke. "Well…its just…that's the first time we've heard you laugh like that. It's nice."

Naruto stopped, realizing that it had been…quite a while since he had laughed like that…He smiled. "It feel's nice too."

"So Naruto…" Kagome said eyeing the blades on his back "What have you been up to?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naraku flew through the air within the safety of his barrier, his rage was so great he was practically frothing at the mouth.

His anger was palpable as So'unga pulsed in his hand.

He continued to fly until a great claw of red chakra appeared from out of nowhere and shattered his barrier like nothing, sending him careening down to the forest floor.

He crashed, a great dust cloud was picked up from the impact. He recovered from his daze just as he felt something slam into his arm, pinning him down. He looked up into the red eyes of the fox demoness that had brought him the sword in the first place. He tried to call on So'unga's power but the blade was strangely silent, unresponsive in the presence of this female.

"Now." He heard her growl. "You're going to be a good little spider hanyou, and you'll do exactly as I say."

He snarled and was about to attack when he saw a bundle in her arms. His blood went cold as she unfurled the silk blanket, revealing the baby to be none other than his heart.

Kyuubi's smile was positively evil as she finished her previous sentence. "Right parasite?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was hours later that Inuyasha groaned as he awoke from his slumber. The sound of numerous voices reached his ears, they seemed close

"Ohhh my head." The Hanyou growled.

"Awake I see." That voice. He slowly opened his eyes and let them fall to the masked blond sitting next to him, who was currently poking he fire. It took the dog eared Hanyou a moment to catch up with who was currently sitting next to him. When it finally did he shot to his feet and pointed at him dramatically. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?"

Naruto blinked at the hanyou before looking back to the fire, then back at him. "I appear to be making tea." He replied simply as he gestured to the kettle hanging peacefully over the fire.

Inuyasha looked to the kettle, then to Naruto, he was about to grab the ninja by the throat and shake him till he either explained all the weird shit about himself or until his brains fell out of his skull, either would prove satisfying.

Just as he was about to follow through with his brilliant course of action two voices reached his ears that made his blood run cold and his heart skip several beats.

"Inuyasha."

The hanyou slowly turned and found Kikyo and Kagome…in the same room…looking at him…ohhhhhh…shit.

The tension, which had been in the room from the very beginning seemed to thicken. Kagome and Kikyo had basically ignored each other throughout the entire day. They had each spoken to someone of course, but never each other, now however, this…encounter had just hit a very troublesome snag.

Namely, Inuyasha.

Before the awkward/tense silence could go on Sesshomaru, having heard Inuyasha's yell from the forest parted the sack cloth door and entered, clearly sending a message to the blond, which clearly read. _'I am sick and tired of waiting human, start talking.'_

"Sesshomaru-sama!" Rin yelled out delightedly as she ran up to him and hugged his leg before she held up Kirara for him to look, probably giving the poor feline heart failure as the Taiyokai turned his eyes onto her. "Look how pretty!"

Kirara could only let out a small 'mew' as Sesshomaru continued to stare.

"Hn."

His response was enough for Rin as she happily returned to her place between Kagome and Naruto o keep petting Kirara.

Sesshomaru then turned his gaze onto Naruto.

The blond sighed. "Inuyasha, sit down."

The hanyou looked like he wanted to say something about Sesshomaru's presence but for once, realized that now was the time to hold his tongue and so, complied with the command.

Naruto sighed and rubbed his head. "Allright, I don't know where to begin, so I'll let you guys ask whatever you want and I'll answer."

The first question came from Sesshomaru. "Who is the fox demoness and what is your connection to her?"

"Well, we…I call her Kyuubi, if that's her real name or just her title I don't know." Inuyasha heard Sesshomaru's sharp intake of breath, it was too quiet for human ears but not for him, and realized that if Sesshomaru of all people had any form of reaction to this Kyuubi chick, it must have been a pretty big deal.

"As for my connection to her, I was her jailor."

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed, ohh he recognized that name allright. The greatest of the great beasts of myth. The most powerful being ever to walk the face of the earth. So much so that she was called the first _'living'_ natural disaster. This human claimed to have been able to hold her back? The very thought was ludicrous.

Still, this human had proven himself remarkably capable of doing the unexpected and so decided to give him the benefit of the doubt…

That and his scent told him that he was telling the whole truth.

"But still who is this Kyuubi? I've never heard of any demon by that name, it didn't even exist in my family archives." Sango spoke up from her place in the room.

Suprisingly it was Sesshomaru who answered. "The Kyuubi is a demon ancient even to demon years, none are truly sure if it ever really existed. But supposedly, her power could rival even the gods."

Everyone was trying to wrap their minds around such a concept. The silence was broken by Inuyasha.

"And you say that you imprisoned her?" He asked incredulously.

Naruto smirked. "I didn't imprison her, someone else did that, I was just the guard."

They waited for him to elaborate when it was apparent he wasn't going to Miroku spoke up. "And how is it that you are nearly five millennia old?"

At that Naruto's head turned to him with a 'Where the fuck did this come from' look.

Miroku raised his own eyebrow. "When you fought Naraku with that big…frog…he said it had been fourtyfive hundred years since you've spoken."

Naruto got an 'O' look on his face. 'I've only lived for 18 years but yes, it has been about that amount of time since we've spoken.

Everyone held a look which either said 'huh?' or 'Explain now!'

Naruto answered by reaching his hand over and grabbing the bottle of shards hanging from Kagome's neck. He held it up for everyone to see. "It was thanks to these that I came here."

He tossed the shards back to her as Kikyo asked her question. "How so? The Shikon jewel is only six to eight centuries old, not nearly as old as the time you claim to come from."

He sighed and leaned back against the wall. "You remember that I told you that I was the Kyuubi's jailor." At their nods he continued. "Well, she was released, and when that happened, the demons in the Shikon jewel reacted to it, and were drawn to her like a moth to the flame. I found the jewel, and was then asked to come here."

"Why?" Kagome asked.

He looked to her. "I was sent to help you and Kikyo."

"Help me and Kikyo?" Kagome repeated confused.

Naruto nodded. "It was Midoriko. She was…worried that the conflict within the two of you caused by Mr. Indecision here." He ignored the Hanyou's indignant, but guilty grunt. "Would cause you to make a selfish wish on the jewel. So I was sent to help you two face your demons and to help kill Naraku."

There was silence after that again it was Sesshomaru who broke it. "Why did you release the Kyuubi."

Naruto turned to face him. "What do you mean?"

"You stated that the nine tails was your prisoner. What caused you to release her?"

Naruto closed his eyes as another voice spoke up for him. "He died."

The entire group looked to the doorway, believing that the person had spoken from outside the hut.

As they each looked outside the voice spoke again this time coming from inside the hut. They each turned and found Kyuubi, sitting behind Naruto. Who's right eye was again twitching dangerously. She had her arms wrapped around him in a hug, with both legs wrapped around his waist as she stroked his masked cheek with the back of her hand. "Isn't that right Naru-chan."

If she wasn't an omnipotent Kitsune that could wipe out half the island with a single swipe of her tails he would have seriously considered doing some bodily harm to the Kitsune.

Almost as if sensing his thoughts she smirked. "Awww, are you angry about the little note."

"What are you doing here?" He asked quickly getting tired of her antics.

She smirked. "My my, cant even let a beautiful demon have her fun. Well since your so eager." Slipped a hand in his back pouch, letting it linger there for just a little while longer than necessary, and took a kunai. She threw the knife to the wall attaching a piece of paper to it letting the knife stab itself into the wall, displaying a map of central Japan. A big red X stood out. "That's where Naraku will be heading next, I suggest you get moving soon. It should take you about a day or two at the most."

'Hello pretty lady!" Rin ran over to the Kyuubi, immediately recognizing her as she plopped down next to her. Kyuubi smiled and ruffled her hair. 'Well hello there Rin, so good to see you again. Has Naruto taught you anything new?"

She nodded enthusiastically.

Kyuubi nodded and caught the anger and worry in Sesshomaru's scent repressed as it was. The others, now knowing of her true identity were wary of her, as they should be. She then noticed the unconscious fox demon, nestled near the fire, bandages wrapped around his mid section.

"Ahhh." She said appraisingly as she let some of her chakra seep from her claws. It floated down towards the unconscious kittling. Kagome moved to step forward and grab Shippou when her whole body was paralyzed on the spot.

"Don't worry girl." The Kitsune spoke simply as her chakra reached the kittling. Shippou glowed for a brief moment before it faded. Finally the paralysis wore off, Kagome moved forward and checked the young fox noticing that his wound was completely healed.

"What are you up to?" Naruto cut in knowing that she was setting them up for her games again.

She ran her claws down his jaw line and down to his neck as she rested her head on his shoulder. "Hn, you just need to trust me a little while longer Naruto…just a while longer." That said she vanished in a swirl of red chakra.

He sighed and stood. "Are there any other questions?" As they each held their silence he spoke. "Good, you're all taking this rather well."

"Yeah well there are few things I wont believe at this point." Kagome muttered to herself.

Naruto nodded in understanding. "Good, but the nights not over yet, Inuyasha, Kagome, Kikyo, I think its time we had a little talk."

"Hey who the hell said you could order me around?" Inuyasha barked.

He grabbed the Hanyou by the ear roughly and even used a little chakra in his grip. "I said so. Because this is a conversation the three of you should have had long ago."

Everyone watched the three leave, Miroku, Sango and even Kagura to a degree were dreading this more and more with each passing second.

Sesshomaru watched his brother, the two Mikos and the strange human leave before he turned back to Rin.

"Rin." The little child scurried up to him "Yes Sesshomaru-sama?"

"The human, Naruto…he tutored you in his techniques?" He asked curiously.

She nodded happily and placed Kirara on her head who sagged with relief at the return of oxygen. The little girl formed her hand seals happily as everyone watched in curiosity.

POOF

POOF

POOF

Everyone watched in mild amazement as three identical clones stood next to her. Minus Kirara perched on their heads.

Sesshomaru looked at both clones and passed his hand through one dispelling it._ 'Hmm, his clones are solid, hers are not. Still, this is impressive for one her age. If he could continue tutoring her, then she could defend herself.' _While Sesshomaru was confident in his ability to protect her, it never hurt to be safe.

It was something to mull over for the future.

"LOOORRRRDDDDDD SESSSHHHHOOOOOMMMMMAAAARRUUUUUUU!!!"

Sesshomaru refrained from groaning and slapping his head in annoyance. Why did he keep the kappa around again?

"JAKEN SAMA!!!!" Came Rin's enthusiastic yell, as both her and her clones turned and rushed the Kappa yokai.

Jaken screeched to a halt his face growing pale, turning it from a sickly dark green to a light lime green as he saw not one, not two but three little balls of evil coming towards him.

He fainted dead on the spot.

Rin stopped and looked down at Jakens still form. "Jaken-sama?" She questioned as she took out a stick and began poking him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto released Inuyasha's ear once they were a good distance away from the village.

Inuyasha growled but stopped when he heard footsteps behind him. He turned and found both priestesses emerging from the forest.

He looked to the floor, his ears folded against his head as he shuffled nervously from foot to foot.

Naruto leaned against a tree choosing to wait for this to play out. _'Time to make a choice, Inuyasha.'_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Well here ya go, hope ya like it. Read and review, only about three to four chaps left of this story.


	39. Farewell

Here I am again

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A tense, oppressive, almost crushing silence hung heavy in the air around the tree as Naruto watched from his place off to the side.

Inuyasha's aura, normally brash, loud and untamable was now subdued to a degree which was almost disturbing. His little doggy ears were pressed flat against his skull and he wouldn't dare meet the eyes of either woman.

The air around Kikyo was seemingly as calm and aloof as ever. However, if one looked closely one could clearly see the small signs of her growing unease and anxiety.

Kagome did not share her counterpart's countenance. Anyone with eyes could tell she was nervous.

The silence, that damnnable silence could probably suffocate a person if they allowed it to, stretched on for almost an entire ten minutes. It seemed like seconds to the three currently on the spotlight.

Inuyasha would occasionally turn his head, almost as if he was contemplating running away. But then caught sight of Naruto's piercing blue eyes. The message was silent but still clear. _"Not this time Inuyasha"_

Finally, the silence was broken by a small sigh, it took a moment for them to realize it had come from Kagome. The young girl sported a small sad smile and though her eye glistened with held back tears they also showed resignation and acceptance.

"Kagome…" Inuyasha knew what she was going to say, but he didn't want her to. If he could he would keep them both. Both women were important to him. Kikyo was his first love, and Kagome was the woman he had grown to love, he didn't want to lose either one of them. Perhaps…no, he _was_ selfish in that respect.

"Don't. It's okay, really. You...love her." Kagome looked back at him sadly and gave him a weak smile. Anyone with eyes could tell that she was struggling with herself, Naruto had to admire her selflessness as she turned to leave.

Kikyo too, watched the younger girl as she took a deep breath, turned, squared her shoulders and began leaving with her head held high. It was then, at that moment, that she realized…that this girl loved Inuyasha more than any other, even her.

It was because she was leaving…she has the strength to let go…the strength to forgive Inuyasha, and her for all of their past misgivings against her. Weather it be the times she had threatened her life, or the times Inuyasha had emotionally hurt her. She was still granting them both her blessing despite yet another suffering they were causing her.

"Kag…" Inuyasha began, but stopped as he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned and saw Naruto somberly shaking his head. Their eyes met and Naruto' relayed a silent message to him. _'Don't make this any harder for her than what it has to be…'_

Finally, Kagome's small form vanished into the shadows of the tree's.

Inuyasha watched her leave, his expression torn. One could practically feel the Hanyou's skull cracking with the effort to keep his sanity intact in the face of this very stressful situation.

Naruto sighed. It was a sad situation for all three of them, he then paused and turned to look at the deceased priestess. She also looked torn. After a second or two he realized why and smiled.

"Inuyasha." The dead priestess spoke, drawing the hanyou's attention.

His expression shifted from torn to a slightly softer look. Kikyo sighed tiredly before she gestured to the area Kagome had disappeared too. "Go." She said in a curt voice, her expression blank, yet for those who could look well there was an underlying sadness in her eyes.

Inuyasha immediately looked taken aback, as well as a little hurt. "Kikyo?" He questioned.

She sighed and gave a sad smile of her own. "Go to her Inuyasha…she has your heart now."

"But I…"

"No." She interrupted him. "You do love me…but not in that way…not anymore…" She spoke in a calm tone, though Naruto noticed that there was a slight waver in her voice.

"Kikyo I…" Inuyasha began again but was silenced as she stepped forward. She stood infront of him. She gently raised a hand and placed it above his chest. "Inuyasha…our love…was a short one brought to an abrupt end…but…that is the key in that analogy…our love ended, that day."

E moved to protect but again she cut him off, Naruto smiled somewhat at that, indeed, things always went much more smoothly when Inuyasha would just shut up and listen to the truth.

Kikyo took a deep breath. "I regret my actions towards you since then…but…I want you to know…that I never once regretted anything that transpired between us during those happy times. "My heart, will always be yours Inuyasha…" She finished as she looked away, momentarily losing her composure as a single tear trailed down her cheek.

Inuyasha looked down to the floor, his ears flattened against his head. This time, he made no move to object, instead, he moved forward, and gently, yet firmly embraced her. "Kikyo." He whispered as a tear trails down his own cheek. He knew that this wasn't just her letting him pursue Kagome. This was a goodbye, once he left…so would she.

Finally, after almost a minute they broke the hug. Inuyasha slowly stepped back, and in a single leap, bounded up to the tree tops after Kagome.

All was silent in the clearing for a while before Naruto spoke. "That was quite brave of you Kikyo."

She took a deep breath as she nodded slowly. "They deserve each other. She can make him happy, even more than what I ever could."

Naruto nodded before he walked forward, so that he was infront of her, his left shoulder infront of her chin. "For what its worth…it was an honor to have met you Kikyo."

She nodded and turned to look at his eyes. "The honor was mine. Uzumaki Naruto."

The sound of metal piercing flesh practically echoed through the clearing. Kikyo gasped in pain as she clutched her new injury made by the kunai blade in his hand, her flesh was turning to ash as the souls contained in her clay body began leaving. This time, she did nothing to stop them.

As she began to fall back Naruto gently caught her and lowered her to the ground, kneeling beside her prone form, he held one hand under her head and another under her back, keeping her somewhat upright.

She looked up into his eyes as her breathing became more and more shallow, her body weakening by the second as the souls left her. She looked up to his gentle gaze, finding some comfort in them. "Thank you." She whispered tiredly. "You…helped me overcome…my own demons…"

"Shhh." He said closing his eyes. "You don't have to thank me…I did what any other would do."

She shook her head, as her eyes glazed over. "I…never realized it before…but…death is so….peaceful." She whispered the last part as her head fell to the side shortly before it slowly dissolved into ash, the last of the souls finally leaving to their final resting place as the ash slipped through his fingers to be carried by the wind.

He sighed, before he wiped his eyes and stood.

He looked to where Inuyasha had left and smiled somberly. This ending was somewhat bitter sweet, but he supposed it was for the best.

He was about to leave and head back when he remembered something. He promptly pivoted on his heel and left in the other direction.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was almost an hour later that Naruto came across a cliff face. He didn't even pause in his gait as he leapt over it, plummeting down to certain doom.

"**Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"**

In a massive plume of smoke a familiar orange toad appeared. It had a pipe and was currently reading a massive scroll. Gamakichi snapped his head up looking around before its eyes settled on Naruto, who had leapt down from his place on his head and was now standing at the edge of the cliff looking at him with his eyes crinkling up into a smile.

Gamakich stared at the blond for a good twenty seconds before he calmly rolled up the scroll, placed it down on the ground, then, put out his pipe and placed that next to the scroll.

Then he took a deep calming breath as he extended his massive tongue and wrapped it around a confused looking Naruto and lifted him up so he was at eye level with the toad.

Then Gamakichi proceeded to do two things. The first was shake Naruto as wildly as he could and the second was yell at the top of his powerful lungs. '**YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE!!!!! ITS BEEN TWO MONTHS!!! TWO WHOLE FUCKING MONTHS SINCE YOU LAST SUMMONED ME YOU DUMB BASTARD!!! WHO THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? THE ENTIRE SUMMONING REALM IS IN AN UPROAR NOW THAT RUMOURS OF ANOTHER SUMMONER STILL BEING ALIVE! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH PAPERWORK I'VE HAD TO DEAL WITH? SIX MILLION EIGHT HUNDRED FIFTY SIX THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED NINETY EIGHT PAPERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**

_**SIX MILLION EIGHT HUNDRED FIFTY SIX THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED NINETY EIGHT PAPERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"**_He practically screeched waving his arms about wildly to emphasize his point! **"WHY THE FUCK SHOULD I HAVE TO PUT UP WITH THIS BULLSHIT? HUH? JUST BECAUSE YOU DECIDED TO DRAG YOUR CORPSY ASS OUT OF THE GRAVE SHOULDN'T MEAN I SHOULD HAVE TO DEAL WITH THIS SHOULD IT?"**

Naruto weakly raised a single finger to answer him amidst the yelling and shaking. "Well I…" But was immediately cut off by Gamakichi's enraged yell.

"**SHUT. UP. DON'T YOU DARE INTERUPT ME WHEN I'M RANTING AT YOU!!! THINK I'M RANTING TO HEAR MYSELF RANT?"**

Silence.

"**ANSWER ME!!!"**

Naruto spoke this time as Gamakichi appeared to finally be finished. His argument to such anger and annoyance was a simple.

"I'm sorry?" He wasn't even sure.

Gamakichi sighed before he set the blond down. Naruto sat down so as to fight off the dizziness.

Gamakichi too sat down, now being at eye level with Naruto. **"Start explaining now."** Naruto sighed. "Well it all started when I met this woman called Midoriko…"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"And so now, I find myself here…informing you why I'm here." Naruto finished his tale.

Gamakichi nodded as he smoked from his pipe. **"I see…it appears you are still Konoha's most surprising Ninja eh bro?"**

Naruto smiled sadly. 'As of now…I'm Konoha's only ninja."

Gamakichi, realizing his mistake quickly changed the subject. **"So…Kyuubi, gave you those swords eh?"**

Naruto nodded and fingered the two blades on his back.

"**What'd you name em?" **The toad boss questioned.

Naruto's reply was a simple raising of his eyebrow. "Name?"

"**Of course!" **Kichi said incredulous. **"Every demonic blade is unique, and so must be granted a unique name…its…tradition."**

Naruto looked pensive for a moment before he unsheathed the two blades and looked at them. Finally after a lengthy silence he smiled, a soft but warm smile. "I've got it."

Kichi leaned forward to listen better.

"I'll name these blades…_Iryoku no Hi _(Will of fire.)

Kichi smiled. **"Aye, that's a good name bro…because as long as one Konoha ninja is alive…the will of fire can never die. Especially when that ninja, is Uzumaki Naruto…their spirit lives on forever in you."**

Naruto smiled, and sheathed his newly named swords before he approached his summon. "Thanks Kichi."

Kichi smirked as he held up a webbed hand in a high five motion. Naruto chuckled, as he remembered the old days. Kichi had picked up on the gesture and would never fail to ask for a high five even when the situation never even called for it.

He raised his own hand and with a wet smack gave his high five to his much larger summon.

"**See ya bro."** The toad boss said before vanishing in a plume of smoke.

Naruto smiled, but his smile soon dropped as a red glow appeared on the horizon. He felt chakra wash over him. Kyuubi…it was in the same direction she mentioned Naraku was going to be…_ 'You're calling to me aren't you…soon Kyuubi. You asked me to trust you…so…you have it…at least for now.'_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naraku scowled as he walked through an area he didn't recognize, old buildings were completely consumed by the foliage. Massive tree's surrounded the area, but for the life of him he could not recognize this architecture at all.

Finally he caught sight of the red haired demoness, she was sitting atop a massive ple of rubble, in her arms was the infant child that was his heart, asleep, most likely because of the demon woman's influence.

"What is this place you have summoned me to?"

"This…this is the place of your final battle." She replied smirking.

"Where are we?" He questioned again. He would love to ring her neck, but alas he knew he could not, even less with the demonic blade So'unga unresponsive at his side.

'We are among some ancient ruins." She answered elusively.

"Ruins of what?"

Her smirk turned downright evil. "An old village…named Konoha."


	40. The jewel completed?

Well I'm back, also since this fic is already coming to a close with only one, at most two chapters to go, I am currently pleased to inform you that another individual has made a pretty good Inu/Naru xover. Its under the Naru/Ino category, its called **Yokai gone astray **by IncandescentOne.

Anyway, that's my authors note so here's the chap.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

If one were to look up at the sky on this day in feudal japan, they would be greeted by a fairly strange sight

A monk and a demon slayer were currently riding on the back of a horse sized two tailed cat, next to them was a dog hanyou and a Miko riding atop a large feather, a red eyed wind demoness was also riding on a similar feather, next to her was the tall and white clad figure of the western lord as he flew on his Yokai cloud and last but not least was a blond haired ninja riding atop a two headed dragon.

Indeed, this was not your average group of travelers.

Rin and Shipou had been left behind with Kaede and Jaken, knowing that the children would most likely be more of a hindrance than any help. Naruto had left Rin with another small scroll on the henge technique to help the poor old woman and ugly green imp keep her occupied, while Sesshomaru had instructed Jaken to help the Kitsune transform back to his original self, why the Taiyokai did it may have been out of pity…after all, who wouldn't pity Shippou after the…affectionate (borderline homicidal) greeting little Rin had give the cute ball of fluffiness that he now was.

Naruto was certain his spine would most likely, not have a quick recovery.

He smirked at that, poor Shippou.

He let his eyes travel to Inuyasha and Kagome, his clawed fingers gently gripped hers. There was a mixture of emotions in them, one was anxiety for the upcoming battle, a small sadness due to the knowledge that Kikyo was now dead, but…there was also an underlying feeling of…contentment, in both of them, which could be seen with a small gleam of their eyes.

The group was currently traveling towards the destination Kyuubi had pointed them towards. Sesshomaru, and Inuyasha were both somewhat skeptical, but seeing as it is the best lead that they had the two followed with minimal fuss.

The group were fast approaching a jagged cliff face, just beyond that was the alleged location of Naraku's final hiding place, and hopefully his final resting place as well. When they were close, to the mountain side, they rose straight up, Kirara and Ah-Un's claws digging into the hard, jagged rock face as they stopped their forward momentum and then ran along the wall, keeping pace with the rest of the group.

Finally, the group of nine reached the top of the cliffs, only to see an awe inspiring, yet equally grim sight, one which also caused Naruto's eyes to widen in something akin to horror.

Before them lay the ruins of what was once a fairly large city. Naruto recognized it easily, there was no doubt that this had once been his home. Even after nearly five millennia, no vegetation had grown in the area, as if the site had been preserved. In the distance, the Hokage tower, leaning dangerously to one side,

Naruto's eyes narrowed, and his grip on Ah-Un's reins increased until his knuckles were almost white. She asked him to trust her…and she leads him here? Back to this place?

The group begins their decent, Naruto does not follow, instead he looks off to the right, where he can see the worn, nearly unidentifiable faces of the five Hokage. Ah-Un, whined and craned one of its two heads to look at him, as if asking what was wrong.

He narrowed his eyes and gritted his teeth, before he took a deep breath to calm down before he looked to the dragon. "Never mind, lets keep moving."

The dragon nodded and descended quickly in order to catch up with the others.

They all touched down, each, taking in their strange, frightening, yet somewhat beautiful surroundings.

Sesshomaru who had sensed the human ninja's unease and rising anger when they entered the field. Now, the Miko asked the questions on all their minds. "What is this place?" She asked looking around.

He felt the human's scent shift and spoke as he stepped off his cloud. "I believe, the human knows." He stated calmly as he looked over his shoulder to Naruto who was getting off of Ah-Un.

The blond shot him a glare, the likes of which few had ever seen on his normally kind face. He walked over to the remains of a building and knelt as his feet brushed against something. He knelt and picked it up, the rusty remains of a forehead protector, identifiable due to its perfectly rectangular form, gripped in his fingers. "This…would be my village." He said slowly.

A few small gasps were heard from Kagome and Sango. Inuyasha, Miroku, and Kagura looked surprised while Sesshomaru as usual gave no outward expression to the information.

"Naruto…" Sango spoke softly. She knew that this was a painful experience, she herself had felt the same thing when she had returned to her village. Though she realized it must be different for him. While she had returned to a village of former loved ones in order to rebuild and she had mentally prepared herself for it, he, judging by his expression, was not expecting this.

Before anyone could say anything, he spoke. "Split up, fan out and search the area, signal, if you find something." His tone was tense, and hard. It was obvious to anyone that now was not the time to mess with him. His orders given the blond began walking towards the single lone tower in the distance.

Reluctantly the rest of the group split up, Kirara Miroku and Sango going to one side, Sesshomaru and Kagura going one way, while Inuyasha and Kagome went another. Ah-Un, not knowing who to follow, decided to just sit and wait to see which was the first person that signaled for help.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It took only a few short minutes for the blond to reach his destination, with a swift kick, the front doors to the Kage tower were kicked open, the rotten wood and rusted hinges giving way easily as the door was practically blown to splinters. Without even sparing a glance to the rotting, decayed interior he walked up the stairs, the wood groaning and creaking due to his weight.

As he reached the last floor, he paused for a moment as he laid eyes on Shizune's old desk.

He then walked past it, towards the wooden doors of the Kage office, carved from a tree, created by the first Hokage.

And with another swift kick, they too were destroyed, revealing the Kage office, the desk in the room, was also falling to pieces like most of the things in the tower. But the red leather chair behind it, was good as new.

"You could have knocked Naru-chan." A sultry voice spoke as he entered, the chair swiveled around revealing the fox demoness as she smirked at his furious eyes. She looked around in feined sadness. 'I tried to keep things as you left them, buuuuuut…" She drawled, taking in the rotting, creaking wood before smirking. 'It didn't work perfectly as you can see."

Before most could even hope to catch, the blond had grabbed her by the throat, hawled her to her feet and slammed her against the wall.

She grunted slightly, as the wood cracked and creaked from the impact. She then grinned and began chuckling softly to herself.

"You…" He snarled as he tightened his grip. "How dare you…How dare you bring us HERE!!!!" He yelled as he reared back his free hand and aimed a fist to her face. She craned her head to the side, avoiding the fist which went straight through the wood. She then latched onto his wrist with one hand while her other hand locked around his own throat.

"Now now Naru-chan, temper temper." She chided as she would a small child. She laughed again. "Besides…you have bigger problems to worry about than simply being angry with me." She said as a dark shadow descended on the ruins of the village. He looked out the balcony, and then in the sky, saw thousands, perhaps even hundreds of thousands of demons of all kinds.

There was a slight pause before she spoke. "You had better hurry Naru-chan…unless you want to lose all of your precious people again." She said smirking.

His pits of ice-cold fury turned onto her before he snarled and threw her off to the side. "This isn't over Kyuubi." Her name rolled off his tongue with such hatred it was almost enough to make even a demon like her cringe, almost anyway.

Instead she smirked as she straightened. "Ohh, I'm counting on that Naru-chan."

With one final glare the blond turned and leapt out the balcony.

When he was finally gone, the smile on the Kyuubi's face dropped and she walked over to the ledge of the balcony. Her visage, blank, but a small sliver of worry could be seen in her eyes. She let a smirk again tug at her lips. "Soon Naruto…very soon."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Midoriko observed the demons which constantly roamed just beyond her barrier before she took a deep breath and knelt down, placing her hands in a praying position she began her chant. _'Kyuubi…ironic, that you the greatest of demons, are the one that has offered me my freedom. I pray that you keep your end of the bargain, for this will take all of my strength.'_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kagome and Inuyasha watched the demons above them, with great trepidation, Kagome's notched arrow glowed, ready to be released, as Inuyasha unsheathed Tetsusaiga. "Get behind me Kagome." He said placing his arm in front of her.

She felt happy that he would protect her but had to sweat drop at the fact that they were surrounded, and that getting behind him left her just as exposed as being anywhere else.

The two never noticed the jewel shards glowing and pulsing softly in the jar around Kagome's neck, at least until they shattered and flew towards the tower.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The blond Jinchuriki was running over some of the remaining rooftops of the village when a purple glow to his right caught his attention. He barely had time to twist his body enough to avoid the blast that shot past him. He crashed down on the floor on his back before he rolled to his feet. He looked towards his attacker, and found Naraku, So'unga pulsing in his grip.

Naraku grinned evilly as he set eyes on the Jinchuriki. "Ahh, Nigen, so good to see you here. Now I can kill you."

"Unless you forgot parasite…I kicked your sorry ass last time.

Naraku's smile only widened. 'Ahh, yes, but last time…I did not have…" He paused as he raised his hand holding a near complete, almost completely black, jewel. "This."

Then, the remaining shards, these, pink indicating purification, shot straight past the blond, and with a blinding light, merged with the remainder of the jewel.

Naruto covered his eyes, protecting them from the light. When he oppened them again, a small gasp escaped his lips.

In Naraku's hand was the very complete, and very tainted jewel of four souls.

Naruto moved to take the jewel away, but with a deafening roar Naraku slammed the jewel into his chest. Naruto crossed his arms to shield himself from the fierce shockwave. He leapt back to avoid the poisonous Youki.

With grim, yet determined eyes he unsheathed his two blades, with a resounding snap, the two blades were joined and the blond took up his stance, as the demons circling above the ruined village, descended.

As the blond watched the light die down, the blond promised himself one single thing. _'Not again.'_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Well, I'm not really satisfied with this chapter, but hey, this is just basically a prelude to the next chapter so I kinda rushed it, next chap will most likely be mildly long, or at least longer than my normal chaps.

To those of you begging for a bleach crossover, good news, I might do one, I finally found a site that I didn't have to join to get bleach mangas so I started reading. If I like the series, and it has a plot that I can work with then I'll think of something. Anyway, read and review, so far, no one has been able to guess what Kyuubi's planning.


	41. A new begining

Here I am again, now this will hopefully be the final chapter unless I decide to be cruel and leave you all with a cliff hanger.

Here ya go.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto's chakra fared wildly, as red chakra pulsed from the blade in his grip.

He spun the staff blade once over his head before he swung it in a wide arc infront of him. The red blast of power was blinding as it tore everything apart in its path toward the spider hanyou. To Naruto's slight surprise Naraku simply raised So'unga and with minimal effort erected a barrier that stoped the attack dead in its tracks. Now that the dust cleared he could see Naraku for what he truly was.

The spider demons features had changed, his mandible had turned into a similar one as a spiders, but when he closed it his features appeared very normal if only for a single line that went from his bottom lip down to his chin. (Think of the vampires in blade 2) His eyes were completely red along with eight horns sticking out of his head, forming something akin to a crown, which framed his black hair almost perfectly.

Four bony protrusions extended from his back, showing his spider demon blood to the world.

As soon as the attack died down, Naraku swung his own blade at the blond ninja with a loud cry of **"Gokuryuuha" **The Yoki around so'unga surged before the ground before the spider demon seemed to explode as purple dragons rose up and headed for the blond Jinchuriki.

Naruto raised his own blade, forming a blue barrier around him. The attack hit and broke like water on rock as it moved past him and destroyed the earth behind him, leaving two jagged trenches to either side of him.

As the attack died down, Naruto shot forward, his sword flashing as he swung.

The clash of metal against metal was loud in his ears as their blades met. He spun around, moving to slash at Naraku's feet with the other end of his staff blade but was met instead by one of the bony 'legs' that came from his back. Naruto's eyes narrowed, those things were harder than steel.

He side stepped as the other three legs moved to impale him, instead crashing to the floor. He appeared at the spiders side. He moved to impale him, but Naraku mannaged to move So'unga in time to block the attack.

Naruto leaned back to avoid a swipe from one of Naraku's new legs as the spider demon turned to face him, but couldn't move quick enough and received a slash across his chest.

Naraku chuckled but stoped as he noticed a bright glow coming from the Jinchuriki's free hand.

"**Rasengan!" **Naruto yelled slamming the ball of chakra into the spider demons chest sending him flying back, crashing into one of the ruined buildings.

The blond barely had time to take up his stance before Naraku's form exploded from the ruined building heading straight for him, So'unga trailing behind him.

Naruto placed his staff sword vertically infront of him, blocking Naraku's swing with another resounding -clang-.

Naraku snarled before he extended another of his legs and stabbed the blond in the left shoulder, going completely through. Naruto gritted his teeth to keep from screaming as Naraku lifted him up, over him and slammed him down to the dirt hard.

Naruto couldn't regain his wits before Naraku dragged him across the ground, using the bony appendage still lodged into his shoulder and slammed him against a crumbling stone wall, destroying it entirely.

Naruto snarled as he felt his sword fall from his grip, tumbling on the floor with dull clatters. Naruto gripped the bony appendage in his left shoulder with his left hand and then with a strong quick punch using his right fist snapped it in two. Naraku grunted in pain. Naruto rolled with his current momentum, got to his feet and lunged at the parasite.

Naraku, caught off guard by the blonds fast recovery couldn't react before Naruto appeared, kneeling down infront of him, pulled out the broken appendage from his shoulder with a savage jerk, and stabbed it right through Naraku's left kneecap.

Naraku screamed and would have collapsed had it not been for his new legs, two of which he used to hold himself upright.

Naraku raised So'unga and brought it down, the purple, malevolent energy cackling wildly before a blast went off in Naruto's face point blank range.

Naraku grinned, certain of his victory when a flash of red broke through the purple stream of energy. He couldn't pull back before red overtook purple, exploding in a shower of youki and chakra, destroying most of his body, only his right arm holding So'unga, half of his left arm, and two out of four of the bony legs on his back remained.

He snarled as he was thrown back, as the dust cleared it revealed Naruto holding _Iroku no Hi _infront of him. The blond barely had time to bring the weapon to himself using a modified replacement technique, replacing the sword with a stone at his side.

Naruto stood slowly, wincing at the pain in his rapidly healing shoulder.

Naraku chuckled, and in a second, miasma gathered and his entire body regenerated out of thin air, leaving not a single injury. Naruto's eyes widened, he didn't even seem remotely tired.

"You seem frightened, Uzumaki Naruto…" The spider demon laughed coldly as Naruto narrowed his eyes. "Now you see the difference between us…you can never hope to stand against me now that I hold the full power of the Shikon jewel.

His Youki flared, going nearly twelve feet high. Naruto watched as the foul energy ate away at the small patches of grass that peeked through the dirt, as well as the old wood and stones of the ancient ruins around them.

And it was still growing.

Naruto had to shield himself as a shockwave nearly sent him tumbling back from the sheer force of it.

He looked up to Naraku's smirking form again. He blinked…and he was gone.

Naruto barely had time to gasp before he felt a searing pain in his stomach. He gasped, coughing and choking on blood which pooled in his facemask. He looked down, and found So'unga's tip poking out of his stomach before it was savagely yanked out. He nearly fell to his knees but mannaged to hold himself up, using his staff sword.

He heard Naraku's sinister chuckle behind him as the spider demon walked infront of him. "So pathetic…" He sneered before he kicked the blond in the chest, sending him flying back until he hit another of the crumbling walls going straight through it.

Naraku chuckled again as he stepped forward, sneering down at Naruto's bleeding form. The wound in his stomach was healing, but not fast enough. "Now I'll kill you." He spoke with a satisfied grin.

Naruto narrowed his eyes in anger. They flashed purple with a slit through them as _Iroku no Hi_ pulsed once

He grinned, certain of his victory when he felt a searing pain in his own stomach. He looked down and found one tip of Naruto's staff blade protruding from his stomach this time. "I think not." He heard the blonds chilling voice behind him.

He craned his head to look over his shoulder where he met the blonds cold eyes with his own.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"**Wind scar!"** Came Inuyasha's cry as he destroyed another group of demons, however, they all seemed insignificant in the face of this never ending horde…

Behind him, Kagome fired arrow after arrow, luckily, she had brought nearly four full quivers of arrows so she was in no danger of running out any time soon. Her arrows took down nearly a dozen with each shot, but as stated before, these numbers were insignificant. The demon horde was slowly wearing them down. If they didn't meet up with the others soon they would be overwhelmed.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome called to him. "We have to find Miroku and Sango!"

Inuyasha slashed at another demon with his sword as he tore another apart with his claws. He looked back at her and nodded. He leapt back, wrapped his arm around her waist and leapt through the demon horde as he tried to sniff out Miroku and Sango, slashing at the demons in his path with the Tetsusaiga gripped in his free hand as Kagome shot the ones behind them with her arrows.

The roars, growls and snarls of the demons all around them spoke of madness and bloodlust. Inuyasha launched another wind scar where he mannaged to catch a brief glimpse of Sango atop Kirara as she swung Hiraikotsu through the air.

"Hang on." He commanded the girl in his arm. She nodded and gripped him tighter as he tore through the demon scum around him heading for the demon slayer atop the fire Neko.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Meanwhile, clear across the ruined village a Taiyokai, along with a wind witch were not having a good time as they hacked low level fodder to pieces.

Sesshomaru raised his blade and with all the poise and grace a 500 year old lord of the west could possess brought Tenssaiga down in an arc, tearing open a gateway to the underworld where the demons were promptly sucked in as Kagura sent wind blades that sliced them to ribbons.

She snapped her head behind her as one of the demons got past her guard. Its jaws oppened, ready to bite down on the junction of her neck and shoulder when he was suddenly caught and promptly turned to green gunk by a stoic demon lord.

"We must go." He spoke as he wrapped an arm around her waist, catching her completely off guard, actually managing to elicit a squeak from the Kazi before Sesshomaru used his demonic speed to vanish from their previous location.

Kagura felt her stomach drop as the whole world whipped past her at blinding speeds. The faces of the thousand demons or so nothing but blurs.

When they finally came to a stop she had to fight off the feeling of vertigo as Sesshomaru sent his acid whip to another group of demons, slicing them all apart. "Gather your wits demoness?" He snarled as he slashed at another group of demons

Kagura snapped her attention back to the battle at hand and snapped her fan open before she let her wind blades fly to the area behind the demon lord.

Just then a huge shockwave of youki reached their senses, causing both of them to stiffen, it was by far the largest they had ever felt. Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes. "You go and find your companions, I will go to find the human, Naruto."

Kagura nodded, before she formed her feather beneath her and soared above the Yokai intent on finding Inuyasha and the others as Sesshomaru began cutting his way towards where he had felt the pulse of Youki.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naraku snarled as he received yet another gash across his chest. He didn't know what was happening, but somehow the blond was moving faster than anything he had ever seen. He could only catch the briefest of blurs before another injury appeared, if it hadn't been for his, now near godly regenerative powers he would have already died several times over, The blond had nearly cut off his head three times, and plunged several of those Rasengan things into his chest back and stomach, if his heart was still in his body he would have certainly died.

Naruto meanwhile was starting to feel the strain of this new technique. Apparently, the third power of his sword did two things. It increased his speed to almost unimaginable levels, and increased his reflexes so he could keep up with his own movements.

But…this power was coming at a heavy price, his chakra was draining, and Naraku's Youki still hadn't wavered in its potency meaning he wasn't weakening. He would be out of chakra long before Naraku was. "Damnit." He snarled angrily as he stopped in his run.

Naraku catching sight of the blond raised his sword and sent another Gokuryuha towards him…only to have Naruto appear right next to him, sword already raised as red chakra cackled around it **Kitsune GoKa: Umi no Ho!!!** He screamed as he brought the blade down, sending the most powerful blast of red Youki he had ever made straight at the demon from barely two feet away.

Naraku placed So'ugna infront of him and tried to ward off the attack, but soon it became to much. The spider demon struggled to stand as the attack finally died down revealing his broken mangled body which was quickly regenerating.

He struggled to stand, but a sudden fierce gust of wind nearly knocked him back down. When he looked to the source he felt his eyes go wide with fear.

Naruto, standing amidst the ruins of his old village gripped his blade firmly in his left hand, its form cackling with red and blue chakra. In the other, glowing with power was a fully formed Rasengan. Its form quickly gaining four bladed extensions marking its evolution to the most powerful ninjutsu ever created the **"Futon Rasen-Shuriken"**

His eyes however, struck the most fear into him. They held a determination, a…promise…that he would not stop, that he would not ever back down until one, or both were dead on this field of battle.

The spider demon snarled as he straightened, pushing down his fear. He would never fear this human again, not now…not when he had the power of the Shikon jewel. He smirked. "Boy…I will take a great deal of pleasure when I kill you…" He sneered before he smiled again. "As a mater of fact…I think I wont kill you…no…I'll keep you alive…so you can watch as I destroy everything you hold precious."

As soon as the words left his mouth, he knew it was the wrong thing to say. The boys chakra flared, its pale blue light was like a roaring fire in the night as it illuminated everything. The low level demons were drawn to this light, like moths to the flame as they approached cautiously.

Naruto suddenly threw down his blade, surprising Naraku a great deal. He then formed a single seal with his now free hand.

"**Initial gate KAI!"**

Naraku watched as his chakra flared even higher, he was fairly certain it could bee seen for several hundred yards.

He formed another single handed seal.

"**Heal gate KAI!"**

Naraku watched in wide eyed amazement and terror as all of the boy's injuries healed in a second.

"**Life gate KAI!"**

His skin turned red and his chakra flared again. The Rasengan in his hand pulsed, and grew several inches in diameter. His pupils vanished, turning his eyes completely white.

"**Wound gate KAI!"**

By now his chakra was flaring around so wildly his face mask had been completely blown off.

"**LIMIT GATE…KAI!!!"**

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kyuubi, who was watching the proceedings from a distance away could only smirk. "That's it Naruto…just a little more."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The demons that had been closing in around him at this point were completely blown away, Naraku himself barely managed to keep his feet as the chakra pushed him back several feet.

Naruto then gripped his wrist, the wind rasengan pulsed wildly as he pushed more chakra into it, pushing his control of the technique to its very limits as the wind picked up in its ferocity and the earth shook beneath his feet, the loose cloth of his headband whipping behind him as if caught in an upwards wind.

Naraku , shot forward with all the speed he could muster, intent on stopping the blond before he completed his technique. **"Gokuryuuha!!!" **he yelled sending the blast ahead of him.

Naruto's eyes snapped open, the red of his iris breaking through the white formed by unlocking the third gate. He gripped his blade and vanished before the blast reached him, appearing infront of Naraku again.

"**Futon: Rasen-shuriken!" **He roared slamming the attack dead center into Naraku's chest.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Inuyasha snarled as a demon bit into his shoulder, he ripped the disgusting thing over his shoulder and stabbed it on the ground before he spun around again. "WIND SCAR!" He yelled sending the yellow streaks of energy into the mass of roaring demons.

"INUYASHA!!!" Sango yelled down to the hanyou. "THAT BLUE LIGHT! WHAT DO YOU THINK IT IS?" She yelled again as she threw the Hiraikotsu again.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK?" Kagura yelled as she send another volley of wind blades. 'IT ISNT SESSHOMARU AND IT ISNT NARAKU! WHO ELSE COULD IT POSSIBLY BE?"

The entire group exchanged worried glances as they each came to the same conclusion. _'Naruto'_

"WELL COME ON WE GOTTA GO HELP THE MORON!" Inuyasha yelled as he cut another demon down.

"NO YOU IDIOT!" Kagura yelled. "WE NEED TO FIND THE KID, NARAKU'S HEART! IF WE FIND HIM WE CAN KILL HIM EASILLY!"

"DID YOU EVEN LOOK AT THIS PLACE BITCH? WE'LL BE LOOKING FOREVER IN THESE DAMN RUINS!" He snarled back.

"WHATEVER WE'RE GONNA DO WE HAVE TO DO IT NOW!!!" Kagome cut in as she launched another arrow.

Inuyasha struggled with himself for a moment before he finally spoke. "ALLRIGHT YOU GUYS LOOK FOR THE BRAT!!! I'LL…"

"I'm afraid that wont be necessary." A voice cut him off as a blast of red chakra destroyed all the demons around them in an instant. They each looked up to the top of a ruined building and found the Kyuubi sitting there with a smug smirk on her face as one leg dangled over the edge. In her left hand Naraku's heart was nestled 'safely'.

The entire group tensed, knowing that this was one demon they stood absolutely no chance against.

Inuyasha however, would not back down without a least some of his fight showing through. "Give us the kid now lady. Or do you want me to cut you down with him?" He snarled. Kagura to brandished her fan, this was her revenge staring at her. Just a simple wind blade and she would enjoy the satisfaction of seeing Naraku dead.

Kyuubi chuckled. "My, my what bravado…no child, you see…I cannot have Naraku die until he's fulfilled his purpose. So therefore, this child remains with me."

Everyone tensed but before they could say anything…

**-BOOM-**

The entire group was blown clear off their feet as a massive explosion erupted behind them, from where they had seen the blue light.

It was huge, dome shaped and had to be at least 100 feet high. The air seemed to be sucked right into it, as if it was a black hole, or tornado, it was like a vacuum the demons were all sucked into a swirling vortex, shredding them to pieces before it all exploded outwards in a great shockwave that shook the earth with its raw power, disintegrating any remains.

"I suggest." Kyuubi drawled as she watched the dazzling sight. "You all go help Naruto before he bites off more than he can chew."

The group each exchanged looks and decided to take the kitsune's advice and rushed over to the scene, missing Kyuubi's smug smirk.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Midoriko groaned in pain as the demons continued to pound away at her barrier, sweat was visible on her brow as she bit her lip in concentration.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up, finding the, for once serious expression, of the Kyuubi no kitsune standing before her.

"Its time Midoriko." The demoness spoke quietly.

Midoriko gave a small nod and her barrier, finally fell, allowing the demons to take control of the Shikon jewel.

Kyuubi kneeled down and wrapped her arms and tails around the legendary priestess. "Don't worry…" She spoke as a small red barrier formed around them, blocking the demons out from devouring the priestess.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

In the center of the devastation stood Naruto, his entire arm had severe slashes all over it, caused by his own wind blades, as well as the fact that it was broken in nearly five places. The area infront of him was much worse than he was. Everything had been cut to pieces, a massive crater spread out infront of him. Chunks of demonic remains were littered all over the place along with their blood.

Naruto sighed in something akin to relief, the demonic horde above them began to disperse and Naraku was nowhere to be seen. He felt around for his Youki…but after several seconds that he couldn't even detect a faint wisp of his Youki he sighed in relief.

Naraku was dead…

He heard footsteps behind him and turned, finding Sesshomaru standing there with his usual stoic look, though one could tell he was impressed…hell if you weren't impressed by a 100 foot crater you had some serious problems.

Sesshomaru then looked to the right, Naruto followed his gaze and found the rest of the Inu-Taichi approaching them. He smirked as he sat down, wincing slightly at the pain of his arm as his chakra finally died down.

The rest of the group soon reached them. As they each took in the scene and Naruto's relaxed position. As well as the fact that they couldn't feel Naraku's foul presence anywhere near them came to a hopeful conclusion. Naraku's dead?" Kagome questioned for everyone.

Sesshomaru nodded. "Aparently so."

It took a moment for the words to sink in. But when they did, cheers of delight were let out by nearly the whole group. Kagome practically tackled Inuyasha to the ground where she hugged him fiercely tears of joy streaming down her eyes. Miroku uncovered his hand and found the wind tunnel to be rapidly closing, at that sight Sango wrapped him in a fierce hug and to the monks great delight and surprised kissed him square in the lips. Kagura smiled, a smile which was almost radiant in itself.

Naruto smiled as well, seeing their faces in such unbridled delight he wondered if this is what it would have been like had they won the war against Oto and Akatsuki in Konoha. He stood shakily, using his sword for support.

"Heh, I guess we won." He stated with a small smile of his own catching everyone's attention as they all gaped. "Na-naruto!"

He looked momentarily confused before he realized the reason for their shock. His mask was gone. They could all see his face rather clearly. He simply grinned in response, showing off his enlarged canines. 'Well now…I suppose, wearing my mask around you is somewhat pointless eh?"

The group smirked somewhat but their smirk soon died as the earth began to shake beneath them and the clouds turn purple again.

Miroku looked at his hand and saw to his horror the wind tunnel opening again. He quickly rewrapped the prayer beads on his arm to seal it away.

The entire group tensed and drew their weapons. From the crater Naruto recently made a dark cloud of Miasma slowly rose. Naruto turned, holding his staff sword in his left hand as his right was still badly torn up.

The entire group faced the growing cloud of miasma, their weapons ready to attack.

However, before anyone could react tentacles sprouted out from the ground behind…Naruto.

"NARUTO! LOOK OUT!"

The blond turned at the warning but barely mannaged to catch a glimpse of the incoming attack before they hit. One piercing his right shoulder, another from his left hip, two from his chest area and another pierced his left arm around the elbow joint, nearly taking his entire arm off.

"NARUTO!" Was the cry that faintly reached his ears as his eyes dulled and he coughed up blood. Another tentacle wrapped around his throat and with a casual flick threw him over the group so he landed several yards away with a dull thud. His blood quickly pooling around him.

Some in the group moved to aid him when the sinister, sickly chuckle reached their ears.

They turned and saw the miasma as it materialized revealing Naraku, completely unscathed as his Youki swirled around him. "Now that the nuisance is out of the way, its time that I have my fun." He chuckled before thousands of fleshy tentacles sprouted from the ground around the Inu-taichi.

Naruto coughed, letting the metallic, coppery taste of his blood fill his mouth, nearly choking on it. His breathing was becoming heavier as his vision darkened. He let his head fall to the side and saw the group as they fought Naraku.

His eyes dulled before he felt his head being lifted, then gently dropped down onto something soft. He weakly looks up and sees Kyuubi's red eyes staring back, he was resting on her lap, as she ran a hand lazily though his blond hair he sees…concern…in her eyes.

He feels her place something in his hand, and he recognizes it as _Iroku no hi's _hilt.

She leans down, and whispers in his ear. "Naruto…listen to me…you need to unlock the final power." She speaks calmly as her youki works on keeping him alive.

"I…cant…" He rasps out.

"If you don't…then they will die." She says fiercely.

His eyes widen as his breathing quickens somewhat, she feels him grip the blade tighter. However, another coughing fit hits him, making him loose all of his strength as he fell back, his grip on the blade going slack.

Kyuubi could feel his life slipping away. She snarled before she, picked him up by the scruff of his shit, getting him up to his full height, though she held him up, as his legs had no strength in them.

"Enough." She snarled. "Are you so weak that you would fail twice? You would let your precious people die twice? You are a disgrace to the memory of the leaf village." She saw his eyes open as he gritted his teeth in anger. "You are nothing but a weak boy Naruto." She snarled watching as his grip on the sword tightened again.

"Have you forgotten your promise Naruto?"

Silence.

"Have you forgotten your promise Naruto?" She asked again a bit more forcefully that time.

Again silence.

"HAVE YOU FORGOTEN?" She yelled that time, watching as the boys eyes flashed red.

'_Live'_

The blade in his hand pulsed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto awoke to the familiar sensation of the wind whipping through his hair. _'What the?' _He questioned before a purple glow to his right caught his attention. He twisted himself out of the way and hit the ground, getting to his feet quickly He looked towards his attacker, and found Naraku, So'unga pulsing in his grip.

Naraku grinned evilly as he set eyes on the Jinchuriki. "Ahh, Nigen, so good to see you here. Now I can kill you." He spoke smugly.

Naruto then saw that he looked as he did before he absorbed the Shikon jewel.

Naraku sneered at him. "So you choose to play the stoic? Well little ninja lets see how smug you are when you see what I have." He sneered as he raised his clawed hand revealing a broken Shikon jewel.

Everything seemed to snap in place for Naruto at that moment. _'The fourth skill…is to go back in time?'_

Just then the remaining fragments of the Shikon jewel shot past him, forming the complete jewel again.

Naraku chuckled and went to place the jewel in his chest when his wrist was caught and held in place by a firm grip.

He looked back, his surprised red eyes meeting Kyuubi's smug ones. "Wh-WHAT IS THIS!?"

"Simple…you've outlived your purpose. After all, you are only a pawn in this game…and the pawns must always be sacrificed for the king." She spoke as she showed the baby nestled in her arms. Naraku's eyes widened in fear before the woman's chakra flared, turning the baby into nothing but ash in just a few seconds.

He gasped and gripped his chest as he coughed up blood, the sacred jewel fell from his grasp forgotten as it rolled to Naruto's feet.

Naruto looked up, and saw the demonic horde beginning to disperse as Naraku's hold on them vanished. The spider demon coughed as he collapsed on his knees. Kyuubi walked to his side and with a casual flick of her pristine claws lobbed off the hanyou's head, letting his body fall with a dull thud.

Naruto looked over his shoulder where he could see the Inu group approaching. He looked to the Kyuubi's serious expression and narrowed his eyes, kneeling down to pick up the jewel at his feet. "Tell me…tell me now…why have you done this? What was your purpose? Now before the others arrive."

She looked up to the sky, a blank expression on her face… "When…when you freed me from my imprisonment…I did as you asked…I destroyed the last Akatsuki members and then…I saved you. I kept you alive not out of some kindness of affection I had in my heart for you. But because I wanted you to suffer. I wanted to break you…and so I saved you, and left you alive amidst the ruins of your precious village.

Then. I felt your presence vanish. I was certain you had committed suicide, but instead of the satisfaction I expected. Instead I felt…something I would later on recognize as guilt. At the time however…I shrugged it off and simply chalked it up as the last of your human influence on me. And so I did what I always did after that…I destroyed…I destroyed everything…any village ninja or otherwise that dared stand in my way was destroyed.

Then…at the end…when the world was finally brought to its knees by the might of the nine Bijuu I looked back on my actions…as I always did and felt…regret…for the first time in all my millennia of life. I felt remorse for my actions. I was disgusted with myself. And so…I left.

The other tailed demons, found me to be weak, and so tried to usurp my power leading up to the war that lasted nearly two millennia. The Bijuu wars which finally broke the world and sent it into darkness.

After that…I slept…I slept and I watched as the world rebuilt itself from the destruction that I caused. I was determined to rest for all eternity, and leave the world free from me when I felt it…" She looked to him then her eyes glinting with something he couldn't identify.

"You had returned. At first I wasn't sure…but…when I confirmed it…I…I wanted to…to make it up to you I suppose…and this was the best way for me to do it."

"You wanted to make it up to me? By doing what manipulating me? Manipulating everyone to play your sick little game?" As he spoke his voice got louder and louder until he was right infront of her, his hand gripping her collar as he glared deep into her red eyes.

She sighed and bowed her head. "No…everything I have done has led up to this moment…in your hand…you now hold the complete Shikon jewel, and also, the blade I gave you."

She locked gazes with him "Give me the jewel Naruto…give me the jewel and I can send you back."

His breath hitched as his eyes widened. He released his grip on her out of pure surprise.

"Wha-what did you say?"

Her features were still blank as she stared at him. "I can send you back. If you give me the jewel, my power will escalate to the point where I can enhance the power of your swords fourth technique. Enough to send you back to your home."

Naruto seemed as if he had just been nailed in the side of the head with a sledge hammer as he stepped back as if in a daze. He suddenly felt very dizzy.

"I…you…" His words were jumbled in his own mind.

"You can stop it…you can stop it all. You can save your friends, your family, you can have the life that was stolen from you."

"Why would you do this?" He questioned again.

She looked away. 'That doesn't mater. All you need to know is that I am doing it…now, give me the jewel.

He looked to the pearly white orb in his hand, it shined beautifully despite the taint that remained on it from Naraku's aura.

To go back? Could he really go back and save them?

Tsunade, Jiraiya, Iruka, Konohamaru, Ino, Kakashi, Shino, Kiba, Hinata, TenTen, Neji, Lee, Kurenai, Gai, Shikamaru, Chouji, Udon, Moegi, Ebisu…Sakura…he…he could save them?

He could have a second chance?

Slowly…ever so slowly his hand moved towards her outstretched one. The jewels magic tingling her finger tips.

Suddenly he paused, pulling back as he looked over his shoulder towards the group which was now rapidly approaching them. "What…will happen to them?"

The Kyuubi looked momentarily taken aback before she answered. "They will cease to exist. History will be changed and they will most likely never be born."

Naruto's eyes closed painfully as he looked at the jewel in his hands.

Their footsteps were approaching now, he could hear them clearly.

"Naruto…" Kyuubi spoke. "You must decide now…" She pressured taking a step towards him.

Naruto stiffened. To go back…to go back was something he had dreamed of doing since this had all begun…to just go back and correct his mistake.

But to…to sacrifice this world…for his…was it right to do so…He glanced back again at the group who was now a mere fifty yards away. To simply…wipe their lives away completely…to take them like that…could he do so?

Kyuubi watched in shock and amazement as Naruto's hand slowly lowered to his side letting it hang limply there.

"Naruto?"

He looked up at her then…his eyes crinkling up in a pain filled smile as he let the jewel fall to the floor by his feet. "No…" He spoke softly "My…my mistakes in the past are my own…I have no right…to destroy their lives simply for my selfishness."

Her eyes were wide in disbelief and she numbly registered as he stepped forward and embraced her. He spoke, barely a whisper as it caressed her ear. "Thank you…Kyuubi.

He then vanished in a swirl of leaves leaving a visibly baffled Kitsune, before a slow proud smile graced her lips.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I thought I'd find you here"

Naruto turned to the voice, finding none other than the notorious fox demoness staring back at him, her customary smirk firmly in place.

He currently sat atop the former hokage monument, atop the fourths head to be exact.

"Old habits die hard I suppose." He stated before looking onto the ruins of the village.

She smirked as she walked next to him and sat down. Naruto turned to face her but was surprised as she pulled down his facemask, and again kissed him fiercely on the lips. She pulled back, her eyes closed as she smirked. "You really are Konoha's most surprising ninja aren't you?"

He sighed and smirked as well. 'I suppose so." He replied.

He was surprised when she leaned against him, resting her head on his chest, beneath his chin. His eyes softened on her form. So many long years she must have spent in her self isolation…his arms came up and embraced her, one going around her waist, the other through her fiery red hair.

"Will you rebuild?" She questioned softly as her tails wrapped around them.

"Yes…I will…" He spoke softly as he closed his eyes, letting his head lean on hers.

"Hmmm..." She smiled, faintly hearing the cries of his companions as they searched for him. _'You'll do just fine Naruto…just fine.'_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

FINALLY THE FINAL CHAPTER OF SHIKON IS OVER…..YAY!!!!

Anyway, now that this is done I'm going to attempt, I repeat "Attempt" to keep my mind on some of my other on going stories and at least finish one more before I start a new one. But I'm not making any promises seeing as how I practically twisted my own arm backwards to stop myself from beginning another of my crossover ideas before i finished this one. The two most prominent ones are currently the Naru/TeenTitans and the Naru/Star Wars.

So anyway that's my authors note read and review, this is the final chap, no more after this.


	42. Sequel is now up!

To all you Shikon fans. The sequel is now up. Search for it in my profile.


End file.
